Pulling Strings
by The Rabid Bunny
Summary: Sakura is living a lonely life in Konoha. What happens when she is sent to Suna to assist with their Medical Corps? Will she find love or more fuel for her anger?
1. Jaded Sakura

**A/N: Well, I'm back. Okay, I know I said that I was working on a Kaka/Saku fic, but I had a little trouble working it out. Still collecting my thoughts on it. I did, however, read two great fanfics while thinking. _Plan for a Seduction_ and _Plans Change_ by _kaotic312 _are awesome fics. I definitely suggest those, and the lemons are superb. Those two fics were my inspiration for writing a Kank/Saku fic. Also, wanted to shout out to the ever wonderful _earthbender068_. Thanks for the props on the most recent chapter of _Home Again_. She is always so supportive and such a help to me when I have trouble writing. So, I dedicate this fic to _kaotic312_ and _earthbender068_.**

**This chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to see what the readers thought of how I've written our heroine so far. So, review and let me know what you think. I know she's a little jaded, but it'll work out in the end, I promise.**

**Anyways, I don't own Naruto or his friends. Still would sell Sasuke if he were mine..**

Pulling Strings

Jaded Sakura

Haruno Sakura. Everyone's favorite medic-nin. Or, at least, she liked to think of herself as such. Okay, so her bedside manner was often a little wanting...well, a lot wanting. But she couldn't help it if shinobi were a bunch of whiny sissies when they got hurt.

This fact was why she more often than not made a shinobi's injuries worse than they had originally been. It really wans't her fault if she got tired of their constant belly-aching and lost her temper. Or, at least, that's what she told herself and her superiors.

Which was why she found herself being severely reprimanded in Tsunade's office several times a week. Like _that _woman could actually say anything. Her temper was notorious, and people had eventually learned not to mess with her. So why did they still try Sakura's patience so badly, when all they had to do was shut up and listen to her medical advice. But...noooo... they had to keep it up and get themselves hit over the head, alternately causing Sakura to have to frequent her shishou's office.

_Wonder who I seriously injured this time? _The pink-haired woman thought to herself.

_More like who's pride did you stomp on? _She inwardly snorted.

The day had started well enough. She was awake early, and moving on time...for once. It amazed even herself how much she had adopted her old sensei's lack of punctuality as she had gotten older. Of course, he really did have a valid excuse. Kakashi would spend hours _speaking _with his old friends at the monument to fallen shinobi. Sakura's excuses for tardiness were not so lofty...she just hated crawling out of bed in the morning.

But, on this day, she had found herself bright-eyed even before her alarm had gone off. It could have been any number of things: the fact that she was off work that day, her plans to finally go shopping for a new wardrobe, the _almost_ sigh-worthy sex that she had had the previous evening...

A small smile formed at that thought. The guy, what was his name again?, had been more than capable, and he had gotten her off, if only once. The look on his face had been priceless when she had told him he needed to leave. He had settled in for the usual post-coital snooze, when Sakura had told him that he needed to get dressed and get out before she removed him forcefully. He had tried to argue and asked her to explain. The woman would have none of that and promptly kicked him out the door, still naked.

The smile turned into a frown as her brows furrowed. That always happened to her. She'd pick up a guy, have some sort of romp with him, then ask him to leave. And, usually the guy would act abashed at her change in demeanor. Of course, it was only an act, since most of them would have snuck out the first chance they got anyways. Most knew her reputation and temper, so they would concede defeat and leave. But, every so often, she would have to get mean.

Maybe, that's what the sudden summons to Tsunade's office was about. Nah, surely Tsunade wouldn't get involved in her student's love life.

Well, sex life, anyway. There was no love there.

Thus, Sakura found herself walking across Konoha, toward the Hokage's building. It was still fairly early, so very few people were out and about.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" That voice was unmistakable. What the hell was he doing up so early?

"Hello, Naruto, what are..mphhh..." She was suddenly enveloped in a heavy, bone-crushing hug. "Air...air..." She tried to breath.

"Hey, Dickless, she's turning blue," came Sai's bored monotone. Sakura silently thanked the newest member of Team Kakashi as Naruto let her go and turned to unleash his fury at being called 'dickless'. Kakashi pulled the girl to the side to talk.

"How's it going, Sakura-chan?" He gave her his patented eye-crinkle. The one he gave when smiling mockingly at you. Sakura's face flushed with angry heat.

"Would you stop calling me that," she practically screamed, "it's bad enough, Naruto uses it too. But he's always called me _chan_ because he wants me to be his girlfriend. Why the hell did you start?"

"Oh, would you rather I use Sai's nickname?" He blinked at her. Sakura's eye began to twitch. "Sakura-chan, what's wrong with your eye? You should probably get that checked."

It took everything for the young woman not to clock her ex-sensei in the head. This was his new game, he seemed to like to tease her mercilessly, now that he was no longer her teacher. She didn't know if it was that he was relieved that he was no longer responsible for her, or if he just felt awkward around her.

Oh, well, their current arrangement suited her just fine. Once they had returned from Suna a few months ago, Sakura had put in for a transfer to become a permanent member of the hospital's staff. Tsunade had lamented about losing such a valuable medical-ninja from the field, an idea at which Sakura had promptly disdainfully snorted.

Now, Kakashi had his team of talented _male _shinobi, and Naruto got all the attention from his mentor. Everything had worked out nicely. Though Sakura could not mete through the awkwardness that she felt around the copy-nin. It was almost as if he had something to say to her, but that he was reluctant. Of course, she knew that he just thought her useless. She would never understand how Naruto had been so forgiving at being shoved off on Jiraiya, when Kakashi had focused all of his efforts on Sasuke.

Though, the last Uchiha had been the more talented of the three, it had still hurt that neither she nor Naruto had been good enough to elicit Kakashi's little quips of wisdom. Huh, some teamwork he had taught them. He hadn't even complimented her on her fight against Sasori. All the more reason the learn from Tsunade, who although tougher by far, appreciated Sakura's talents.

The young woman was pulled out of her thoughts by his voice.

"We've been sent on another mission to try to find Sasuke..." he measured the girl's reaction.

Sakura sighed inwardly. Not this again. What was she supposed to do? Beg to join them so that she could help rescue her long, lost love. Yeah right, she had confessed to the idiot, to which he unceremoniously knocked her out so that he could leave in peace. Well, he had said 'thank you' before doing so. But, still...

"And..." She prompted him to finish.

"Just wondered if you wanted to come along," he looked at her thoughtfully, as if waiting for a certain response. He didn't get it.

"No, I have work to do here. You know that I don't do missions anymore." She tried to sound bored with the conversation. His visible eye narrowed slightly as if he didn't fully believe her, but he soon gave her another eye-crinkle.

"Well, we'll see you when we get back then." Kakashi had already turned his back and was walking toward his team. Naruto gave an enthusiastic wave and hollered his goodbye. Sai just continued to look bored.

Sakura let out a huge sigh of relief. She hated talking to that man anymore. Plus, it had taken her everything to turn down his offer. Of course, the Godaime would never allow her to leave on such a mission, but still...Sasuke. The thought of the boy who had held her heart for so long saddened the young woman.

Finally, after a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity, Sakura shook herself and turned back toward her destination.

Her previous thoughts of what Tsunade needed so early in the morning stumbled back into her mind. The girl spent the last stretch of her trip wracking her brain for anything that she had done in the two days since her last visit to the office that would have gotten her into trouble.

"You called for me, Shishou?" Sakura poked her head into the woman's office.

It was dangerous business coming into the Hokage's office at this hour. The woman's temper was nothing less than volatile, especially very early in the morning. It was better to ease in slowly to gauge Tsunade's sobriety as well as the intensity of a possible hangover. Best, would be to allow Shizune to announce your arrival, but Sakura had not been able to find the brunette assistant.

The young woman was mildly amused to see the Hokage sitting at her desk writing. Not planted face-down in a drunken stupor, but actually doing work.

"Ummm...Shishou, are you feeling well?" Sakura asked, coming close, lines of worry decorating her face. Tsunade never did work voluntarily, with a smile...What was going on here?

"Ah, Sakura, I was hoping you'd get here soon." The woman motioned for Sakura to sit while standing from her own chair. The voluptuous kunoichi yawned and pulled a full-bodied stretch before coming around to the front of the desk. She joined her student in one of the chairs that visitors to the office used. The girl's slack-jaw dropped fully open when she noticed that the much older woman had removed her low-hanging, twin pony-tails to let her honey-blond hair fall loose.

"Are you sure you're alright...Shishou?" Sakura was near frantic by now. The elder woman just ignored her questions.

"Sakura, I have something to talk to you about. You're not going to like it, but it's necessary." The girl waited with baited breath. What did the Hokage need to tell her that was so important? Surely it wasn't over something she had done at the hospital? Perhaps, she had gone too far with her attempts to cure the whininess in shinobi?

"Umm...Shishou...let me explain...You see, at the hospital I get to work with mostly shinobi who are injured, and...well..." Tsunade's hand came up to stop the girl's rambling.

"Sakura, I'm sending you back to Suna."


	2. Early Morning News

**A/N: Okay, first of all I want to explain a thing or two. For this fic, I am blatantly disregarding anything that has happened in Shippuden after the 'Rescue Gaara' arc. This fic takes place a few months after that arc finished. Sakura is no longer a member of Team Kakashi, and Sai has taken her place. Jiraiya nor Asuma are dead. I have also tweaked the time lapse a little. Instead of two years passing, five years mark the time between when Naruto left and his return. Sakura, Naruto, and Gaara, as well as the original Rookie 9 are all 17, Kankuro is 18 (as well as Team Gai), and Temari is 19. This makes me feel a little better about their decisions and actions in this fic.**

**Thanks to those who have reviewed, and don't worry, the chapters will get longer. I hope. Enjoy!!**

**Naruto is not mine. Damnit!**

Pulling Strings

Early Morning News

Sakura's mouth dropped.

"You're sending me where?" Her thoughts blurred. Had she really been such a bad student that her mentor wanted to send her away?

"Don't look at me like I just stomped your heart, kid." Tsunade leveled her gaze at the girl. "They want to rework their medical corps, as well as retrain some of their civilian doctors."

"But, why me? I'm still in training. Surely there's someone better qualified." She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for her patented nervous gnaw.

"Actually, no. There's no one more qualified. I can't go, and I can't spare Shizune. You're the next best..." The blond stood from her seat and moved around to the other side of her desk. She stooped to rummage through the drawers looking for something. With a long sigh, she straightened with sake bottle in hand. Sitting in her own desk chair, the Hokage gestured to Sakura, silently asking the girl if she wanted some.

Sakura shook her head, staring angrily at the woman. Now_ t__his _was her shishou, but she still didn't like that the elder woman was dipping into her stash so early. She was already missing the almost warm impostor who had only just been sitting with her.

"Besides, I think it would be good for you to, you know, get out of the village for a while." Tsunade said a little too nonchalantly after taking a long pull from her bottle. Sakura's eyes narrowed. So, that's what was going on.

"This is about _him_, isn't it?" The Hokage's eyes flashed for a second, and the girl knew she was right. "I know that Kakashi's team just left on a mission to search for Sasuke...And you think that there's a chance that they'll bring him back this time." Her voice had reached near screeching by this point.

Tsunade looked at her student for a long moment. The girl was distraught, and she could understand why. She had once loved a traitor, herself. It had taken her many years to move on, and, in the process, it had taken much for her to relearn the emotions that went with loving again. Her cheeks tinted slightly as she thought of her previous evening with a very good-looking jounin. She deflated slightly at remembering that she had sent his team on a prolonged search and rescue mission that morning.

Sakura noticed her sensei's blush and wondered what the woman was thinking. She diffused her anger for just a second before she recalled what had just happened. Once again, her anger was back in full force, and she began to rant.

The sudden 'thump' Sakura heard as Tsunade's now empty sake bottle hit the wall just beside her head, caused the girl to quiet down.

"Do you hear yourself, girl?" The woman asked sharply. "Like the wail of a banshee." She rubbed her already aching temples. After a little time of soothing her now-frazzled nerves, Tsunade spoke calmly albeit sharply.

"You need more experience in a leadership capacity, and you need some time away from here. Yes, I now you're capable of leading our own medical corps, but I want to see what you can do with a fresh new group. No, I don't think you're slipping. Yes, part of this is because they may bring Sasuke back. I know you're over him, but he was a teammate and that bond is difficult to overcome. Believe me, I know." As the pink-haired medic made to interrupt, the blond medic raised her hand to signify that she wasn't quite done. "We don't know what will happen when he does come back, so it's best that you not be here."

Sakura snorted at the last sentence. Did everyone still think that she was that ignorant little fan-girl who had followed the Uchiha prodigy around like a puppy? Hadn't she proved herself by becoming a chuunin as well as a jounin without the help of her previous teammates, including Kakashi. Apparently not. Just as the girl was about to voice these thoughts, Tsunade handed her a mission scroll.

"I know that you don't do missions anymore, so I placed you back on the active-duty roster just for this. The Kazekage requested someone who knows how to handle tough situations, preferably someone who knows the climate and conditions of Wind Country. And, since you were involved in both rescuing Gaara and curing his brother, that makes you the most likely candidate. Considering that you already know the Kazekage and his siblings, they will trust you more easily than anyone else."

The girl openly scoffed at this.

"I have interacted with the Sand siblings twice. The first, Gaara tried to kill me because he thought me weak. The second, I couldn't revive Gaara and ended up needing help from one of their own."

"You did pull the poison from Kankuro. And you defeated Sasori."

"Yes, I saved Kankuro, but only barely. Didn't get a 'thank you' out of it either. And, I did _not _defeat Sasori. Chiyo did, using me as a weapon. I did little by myself, she was the one who killed him."

Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh. She was tiring of this little argument.

"Let's stop with the pity party, Sakura. You are a jounin-level medic-nin, and you are going to Suna to assist in building their medical corps. Got it?"

"How long will I be gone?" At Tsunade's shrug, the girl bristled. This had better not one of those lame open-ended missions. She glanced at the mission scroll, noting the estimated time of return was not filled in. Yup, she was officially being dumped off because she had become too much of a nuisance.

"Temari will be remaining in Konoha for an extended visit due to taking a position as an instructor within our academy. She wishes to learn more about our methods in order to utilize them in her own village. Several of her guards will be leaving tomorrow to return home. I expect you to leave with them." The Hokage scribbled a name and time on a slip of paper for her student. "Meet up with Baki at the gates at this time. He'll know why you're there."

Sakura pocketed the slip and turned to leave. Just as she was about to head out the door, Tsunade called out her goodbye.

"Try to relax a little, Sakura. You deserve it."

"Yeah," was all the girl was able to mumble as she left the room. Her head drooped and she felt as if she had just lost all energy to move. Nearly knocking over Shizune on the way out of the building, the younger kunoichi made her way back toward her home.

"Ummm...Tsunade-sama? I just saw Sakura leaving, and she looked like someone had just kicked her puppy. What's going on?" The young brunette eyed her boss from the doorway of the office. Something was wrong in there.

She glanced around and noticed the empty bottle sitting on the floor as well as the dent said bottle had made halfway up the wall. Okay, it was early for even the Hokage to be drinking, but that brought little alarm. Her gaze wandered the room and fell on the stack of papers that had been finished already that morning. The amount of work the woman had completed since she had come in already outweighed how much she normally did in a week. Shizune's eyes widened. Tsunade was wearing her hair down.

"Alright, who'd you take home last night, and is he free tonight?" The blond looked up at her assistant sharply before cracking a toothy grin.

"Ladies never kiss and tell."

"I don't believe that I'm looking at a lady," came Shizune's wry response. She had to jump to the side to narrowly miss being hit by a flying pen.

"Fine, if you won't tell who he was, then at least tell me about Sakura." The blond looked thoughtful for a moment, then invited her assistant to take a seat. It's not like she was in any big hurry to get back to work, now. She had already done more work this morning than what she normally accomplished in a week.

As the Hokage filled her colleague in on the pink-haired girl's predicament, another reluctant jounin was being summoned to the Kazekage's office.

"Whaaat?" Kankuro whined at his younger brother. The young man had been sleeping so nicely all snuggled up between the two girls he had picked up the night before. Vivid images of his romp filled his brain as he yawned widely.

"So sorry to interrupt your little escapade, but I have a mission for you." The red-head Kazekage who had once been the greatest fear in his brother's life stated. Almost a little sarcastically. Kankuro started at this. He would never get used to Gaara telling jokes or being sarcastic, or being nice. He had feared the boy for so long, and old habits died hard.

Granted, Gaara was still..well, Gaara, which meant that he was still dangerous and volatile, but now he tried to control it a little more. Actually, the young leader had done fairly well for himself. Especially in the recent months after having Shukaku taken from him and nearly dying. He had regained control over the sand, and he was still a very capable shinobi. Only, now, he was more...human than he had ever been. And that was taking some getting used to.

"Okay, what is it?" Kankuro asked while yawning once again and scratching his belly at the same time. "When do I leave?" Gaara's eyes lit up momentarily and an evil grin graced his features.

"You're not." He said simply.

"What do you mean, I'm not? Not leaving? Then what kind of mission is...You want me to play escort for the Leaf medic, don't you?" Why had he even bothered climbing out of bed? At least there he could be remotely content, but now he had to deal with this crap. Not only would he have to forgo any missions while this person was in town, but he would have to escort said visitor everywhere, and at all times. Shit, his personal life had just gone straight to hell.

"Fine," he crossed his arms, glaring darkly at his brother, "when does he get here and who is it?"

"The medic will be returning with Temari's guard, so they'll be here in about three days. And, I don't know who it is actually."

"You're letting some Leaf shinobi into the village without knowing who they are first? That doesn't sound at all like you."

Gaara shrugged as if it weren't important. "Tsunade-sama will be sending a bird to let me know who she has sent, but I trust her decision. I know that she will send the right person for us, and I must make sure all preparations are made appropriately." He looked at his brother, who had begun to grump under his breath. "I expect you to procure accommodations and supplies. That is part of the mission."

Kankuro sighed as he rubbed a hand through his deep brown hair.

"Can I at least go back to sleep for a little while, you know, before I have to become celibate for God-knows-how-long?" At Gaara's dismissive nod, the puppeteer left the room to wake his girls.


	3. Sexism in the World of the Shinobi

**A/N: Hey all. Here's the next installment. It sets up some of the back and forth type thinking that is going on between the characters. I also tried to show that Sakura's point of view and thoughts are often times horribly skewed, especially when it comes to thoughts on herself. Hopefully, once the plot is fleshed out a little more, the chapters will get longer.**

**Don't own Naruto, but I wish a few of the guys were mine...**

Pulling Strings

Sexism in the World of the Shinobi

It was very early in the morning. The sun had not even fully risen, it only peaked out just slightly over the horizon. The darkness of the young day held all of the cold, dampness of early fall in Konoha, and Sakura pulled her traveling cloak a little closer to her body.

Baki eyed her seriously. It were as though he did not believe that Tsunade would send she of all people to Suna. The girl rolled her eyes. She was used to being looked at critically by one-eyed men. This guy didn't scare her.

"So, you're the medic that the Hokage is sending to save our medical corps and civilian hospital?" He asked quietly. The voice wasn't harsh or angry, just quiet. She looked into his eye attempting ultimate control at her seething anger.

"Yeah, I know. I wouldn't be my first choice either, but I guess you're stuck with me." She all-but shouted with enough force to cause movement in the fabric covering the right side of his face.

Sakura shouldered her pack and moved toward her village's gates, with Baki following closely behind.

The two other Suna shinobi who would be traveling with the two gave one another baleful looks. The pink-haired girl had just taken offense to something Baki had said. Obviously she didn't know the man, because he had asked his question softly, quietly. If he had meant any disdain, she would have known it. Baki did not have the greatest reputation when it came to dealing with kunoichi, but he had complied completely with the Hokage's decision to send her student along.

Both of the sand jounin knew that this, of course, must be because of Sakura's past with the Sand Siblings. This was the girl who had been responsible for saving both Gaara and Kankuro within a few hours of one another. Surely, Baki knew this and felt some sort of congeniality toward the girl.

However, the two youths also knew their sensei. He did not tolerate insubordination, especially from kunoichi. And, no matter how much awe the two felt toward the young lady, they knew that Baki would not handle her mouth for much longer. They just hoped that they didn't have to keep them from killing one another on their trip back home.

Baki took point as they took to the trees upon leaving the village. His two subordinates had taken flanking positions with Sakura in between the three of them. The girl balked at this formation stating that she was a shinobi and was not in need of their protection. The elder ninja had explained calmly that once they had left the village, she had officially become a guest of Suna, and was therefore under their protection. Pointing out that they had yet to leave Fire Country and were still under Konoha's jurisdiction did not sway the man at all.

Finally, with Sakura on the verge of losing her temper and Baki on the verge of losing control of his anger, one of the other ninja had spoken up. He offered that Sakura was the only one of the group that was medically trained and needed to stay out of reach of any attacks, just in case they needed her expertise. Knowing that the young black-haired sand shinobi was correct, Sakura had backed down. Not without reiterating that she was a jounin level ninja that did not need to have her ass saved from anyone.

The black-haired boy looked again at his red-haired counterpart. He shrugged at him. At this point, both realized that this was going to be a looong trip. With some luck, though, they may be able to keep the two from harming one another while avoiding an international incident.

All went fairly well throughout the day. Sakura and Baki were able to stay out of one another's way for most of the day. And when there was confrontation, it was usually her sniping comments that broke the lull. The two jounin merely looked on, keeping close just in case they needed to step in to do damage control.

That evening, when they stopped to make camp, another brawl nearly broke out. Sakura wanted to take a shift on the evening's watch, but Baki would have none of it. Again, in his calm voice, he explained that she was a guest of their Kazekage's, and that it would be rude to force her to perform menial tasks.

"Yeah, I shouldn't take part in the watch to protect our asses, but you didn't complain when I helped cook our dinner. Do you have a problem with me because I'm a woman or a kunoichi?" Baki looked at her with his lone eye, the stare was cold and hard. She took in a breath, thinking to herself that maybe she had gone too far. Thankfully, Ritsu, the dark-haired ninja who was traveling with them grabbed her arm and pulled her away; talking the whole time about collecting some medicinal herbs that were not found so easily once they made it into Wind Country.

Once out of earshot of the other ninja, Ritsu stopped and fixed his own glare on the young woman.

"Sakura-san, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

The girl crossed her arms over her bosom and glared back, trying very hard not to pout.

"It's bad enough that I'm not taken seriously as a ninja at home, or even by my enemies, but I will not be treated as if I'm weak just because I'm a woman." The young man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"You just don't get it." He moved his head, cracking his neck and shoulders, before reaching behind his head to rub his nape. "Baki is a little old fashioned with how he thinks women should act, I'll give you that. And, yes, he can be a little judgemental to kunoichi." At Sakura's scoff, he tossed her a look before continuing. "However, Temari would not be one of Suna's best if not for his tutelage. So, he does deserve some credit."

"I forgot that he was their teacher." The girl said softly as she found a tree stump to sit against. Suddenly, her body just felt so drained. "So, he really doesn't like me, does he?" Ritsu sat next to her, laying his weapon on the ground next to him, still rubbing his neck.

"You've still got it wrong. Sakura, you're a legend in Suna. You saved two of our strongest shinobi, even brought one of them back from death."

He looked over at her curiously at the sound of her snorts. Was she actually laughing at what he had just said? The girl's face had turned bright red from trying not to laugh out loud, but soon she was cackling so wildly that he thought her insane.

"What's so funny?"

"Me, a legend? Yeah right. You mean Naruto, right? He's the one who fought tooth and nail to get the Kazekage back. I was just there as a tool." Suddenly, the girl's mirth died completely, and Ritsu was saddened by the sudden change in her demeanor. They sat quietly for a moment.

Ritsu began haphazardly rubbing the back of his neck once again. He let out a shocked yelp when he felt her hand on his skin and the sensation of foreign chakra being poured into his muscles.

"You silly men and carrying weapons that are too heavy for you." He smiled sheepishly as he eyed the large two-handed sword that he normally carried on his back. The young man's eyes drifted closed as the young lady continued to heal the torn tissues at the base of his neck. Idly, he wondered why the girl thought so poorly of herself. Then he felt her shift next to him.

He peeked an eye open and saw that she was now standing above him with a hand outstretched to assist him in getting off the ground.

"Come on, dinner's probably about ready, and I need to apologize to a certain sexist pig." Her smile was brilliant.

Quietly, amicably the two wandered back to the camp, stopping along the way to pick a few herbs here and there.

Ritsu could only think what a shock she was in for when they got back to his homeland.

Not so far away, Gaara looked up at his agitated younger brother.

"What's wrong with you?" Teal eyes wandered over the other man's haggard form.

"Well, let's see... I'm supposed to be preparing for this visitor, but I don't know who it is, so I have no idea what he'll need..."

"She."

Deep brown eyes blinked as Kankuro's mind registered what his Kazekage had just said.

"She? So it's a kunoichi?" His expression went from pout to smirk to full on leer in record time, and it was Gaara's turn to blink as he tried to catch up with his brother's moods.

"Yes, a kunoichi." Kankuro's heart leapt. He loved kunoichi. They were so strong and toned and graceful and sexy. He especially loved it when they relinquished control over there bodies and...wait, what had Gaara just said?

"I said Tsunade-sama sent Haruno Sakura."

Kankuro's heart skipped a beat then plummeted to his feet. Of all the girls for him to have to escort, why her?

"Ummm...can they spare her? I mean isn't she studying directly under the Hokage? Isn't she helping to run their medical corps?"

"And now she'll be running ours, as well as assisting at the hospital.." Gaara's voice became distant.

Kankuro's mind was a blur. He couldn't keep up with his own thoughts, until the jumbled mess stopped on memories of her soft touch when she had been healing him. He gulped audibly.

"Brother, are you alright?" Gaara asked coming around his desk. He pulled his older brother by the arm to a seated position in a nearby chair. "Matsuri, bring water," he barked to seemingly thin air.

Within seconds, though, Gaara's former-student-turned-assistant was at the door with a pitcher of water and a glass. She handed these to her mentor and stood looking at Kankuro.

"Is he alsright? He looks like he's seen a ghost." Gaara just nodded at her, which was a silent dismissal. The girl hid her pout at wanting to listen in on this interesting information and left the room.

After a few minutes of trying to relax his breathing and drinking water from the proffered glass, Kankuro could speak.

He tried to answer his brother's questions, but found that he had none. He had no idea why he had reacted so badly to hearing who their visitor would be. Finally, sighing, he stood and asked to be dismissed. Gaara reluctantly told him he could go, but to be careful.

Gaara's worry at his brother's health did not register at all to the middle of the Sand Siblings. His mind was focused on one thought as he left the office and headed to his apartment on the next floor.

"Why the hell did it have to be Sakura?" He asked himself while making his way slowly down the hall.


	4. Welcome

**A/N: Hello!! How is every one? Hope you are enjoying this, so far. I know it's a little heavier than I usually write, but I'm going to try to lighten it up a bit soon. However, future content will be a bit darker than my norm. I will try to keep thing as light as possible, as I'm not very good with heavy content. But I promise it will all come together soon. Anyways, at least the chapter is a bit longer this time. See...I told it would get better. I just needed to find my groove. Hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing please.**

**And, no you and Kiba cannot have my chocolate Naughty _earthbender068_. I know you're already torturing the poor dog-boy to silliness, why add chocolate to the mix? No, wait don't answer that...**

**Alas, I doth not owneth Naruto (hand covers eyes dramatically).**

Pullings Strings

Welcome

The group of four stumbled into the gates of Suna at just past dawn on the third day of their trip. Much as it would be disgraceful to say that a shinobi would lose their balance over anything, that is exactly what this little band had done.

They were not due to enter the city until later that afternoon, but they had traveled through their last day and night at breakneck speed. Whether it were that Baki and Sakura were ready to be out of one another's sight, or that the three Sand ninja were just ready to be home, no one would ever really know.

As they halted at the gates, nearly tripping over themselves in their haste, Baki made his way to the guards.

"Where is the customary escort for visitors from foreign lands? Why is there no one here to greet our guest?" He glared at the two chuunin with his one eye.

The dark-haired Ritsu elbowed the red-haired Hansu.

"Looks like Baki-san is not holding a grudge toward Sakura-san." Hansu nodded.

"I really do wish that I could have heard what they spoke about when she apologized." Ritsu shrugged, then brought his attention back to their team leader as he prepared to dress-down the two clueless guards.

"I would hate to be those two right now."

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll get our own soon enough. There's no way we performed to his standards the entire time we were gone."

Their whispers were interrupted by the braver one of the chuunin.

"S-sir, we had no idea that you would be arriving so early." He stated almost boldly, the heat of his words lost when he whimpered and moved to hide behind his partner.

"Cowards. How do you think that you would be able to protect our home from an enemy if you can't even handle me?" He glared hard at the two. "How do you even know that we are who we claim to be?"

Sakura had been watching this unfold idly, but was getting more than frustrated as Baki continued to put the fear of God in the obviously new chuunin. The exams had only recently been held, within the last month. Surely, he could cut these kids some slack, right? She went to stop the elder shinobi on his rant when she felt a light pressure on her shoulder.

The young girl had to have been about fourteen, but she carried herself with all of the dignity and air of someone older. By her uniform, she was a chuunin, but Sakura could tell that she had been so for some time. Probably longer than she, herself, had been a jounin.

The pink-haired girl turn to address the young woman fully and was taken by surprise at her gentle beauty. This little girl was petite, but taller than Sakura, with long legs that were barely hidden by close-fitting shorts. Her sand-colored vest was zipped tight, so the girl's mid section was not visible, but her shape hinted at the femininity that would soon take over her form. Her arms were long and graceful as well; none of the gangliness of a growth-spurt that had caused Sakura to feel self-conscious at that age. The body was topped off with a soft face with deep purple eyes, dark red lips, and long glossy black hair.

"Matsuri?" Came Sakura's airy question. No way this could be Gaara's cute little student. The child had been little more than a fangirl the last time she had seen her, but standing here in front of her was a woman.

"Hai, Haruno-san. Welcome to Suna." The young woman bowed graciously. Her movements were so graceful and smooth, exactly what a kunoichi should be. Sakura was beginning to feel her old shyness coming back.

Granted she had grown out of much of her clumsiness as she grew into her adult body, but, come on, she was Sakura. If she wasn't threatening to take someone's face off, she was tripping over shadows. She vaguely found herself wondering if all Suna girls were this classy. First, Temari, and now Matsuri? Well, maybe she could learn something from them. Like how to walk without face-planting herself.

"So, you're my escort then?" This question was not lost on Baki who was still fully engrossed in reprimanding the other two ninja. His own team stood to the side trying not to snicker at the younger men. They would surely get their own soon enough.

"Well, it's about time. I knew that the Kazekage would send someone to greet us. There is no way that we could enter the Land of Wind without our men knowing." His chest puffed out with pride in his leader.

"Sorry, Baki-san, but I am not Haruno-san's escort. The Kazekage merely asked me to meet you and bring you to his office directly. Unfortunately her escort has been...detained..." The girl bowed then turned toward their destination. "Now, if you'll please join me Haruno-san...you too Baki-san." The young lady's bell-like voice tinkled across the slight breeze.

Baki dismissed his younger teammates giving them the rest of the day off. They were going to meet early the next day to review their mission and to train. Sakura smiled to herself remembering working with her team on such missions. Suddenly, she felt a pang at the loss of the camaraderie. At her shiver, Matsuri turned a questioning gaze on her.

"Are you well, Haruno-san?" The question wasn't unreasonable. Here she was shivering when the temperature had already begun to soar during the early morning. The pink head shook from side to side.

"Actually, quite the opposite." She made a display of removing her heavy traveling cloak. This one piece of cloth had been her savior during their trip, especially as they entered the Land of Wind and closed on Suna.

Konoha's early autumn was brisk but still bearable. The nights had not even begun to get too cold by this point. However, in the desert that was home to Suna, early fall meant something entirely different. Blazing hot days, which, according to her companions, had become milder than the norm, and bone-chilling nights were what had awaited her in the desert's sandy expanse.

Sakura allowed Matsuri to lead her into the Kazekage's tower as she adjusted her clothing for the important meeting. She knew she was a wreck, but that could only be expected after traveling for two days and two nights. And they had spent the previous night on the move instead of resting.

As Matsuri moved toward the double doors that led into Gaara's office, she motioned for the others to sit outside.

"I will announce you, so please wait here." Once the young beauty had entered the office, Sakura turned to Baki.

"She's his assistant, now?" Baki merely nodded, looking blankly at her. Sakura pulled at her long hair using her fingers to comb out the knots that had accumulated during their fast-paced trip.

"Yes, Matsuri proved herself as a shinobi, but Gaara-sama decided to keep her close to him. It seems that he has a soft spot for her." The man on her left spoke almost gently.

She shook her head as if not fully understanding him. Baki had just conceded that a girl had proved herself as a shinobi, but that wasn't the most important revelation here. Gaara had a soft spot for someone. And a girl at that.

Suddenly, all her years as Tsunade's student came tumbling at her. Hmmm...well, since she was stuck here for a while, perhaps she could play matchmaker as well. The girl certainly wasn't too young for the Kazekage, and, if Sakura remembered correctly, she had no family which meant that she was a ward of the village. Add that to the fact that she was a kunoichi, which meant that the usual relationship taboos of their villages were null and void, and you get a possible match. Her gears began spinning wildly.

Baki looked at the young lady's sudden silent form. It wasn't like her to be so quiet. She must be plotting something, but what?

Both were pulled out of their thoughts when Matsuri opened the double doors with great flourish. She beckoned both to enter.

They approached the expansive desk, and Sakura sneaked a peek around the office. It had changed little since the last time she had been there. Large desk, two chairs in front of the desk for visitors, and rows of bookshelves. That was all, well, that and the huge window that overlooked the village. Sakura knew that Gaara had often spent sleepless nights at that window watching over his sleeping village. The girl found herself wondering if he still had trouble with insomnia.

"Welcome, Haruno-san," came that familiar voice. However, it was no longer cold and creepy, now he just sounded tired. And, considering that he was meeting her at such an hour, plainly answered her insomnia question.

"Please Kazekage-sama, call me Sakura. We have known each other long, and must act accordingly. Thank you for inviting me to your village, and for your hospitality." She wasn't too good with the social niceties of dealing with foreign leaders. In the past, Kakashi had always handled these things as she and the others stood in the shadows waiting for their orders.

"Please, then Sakura, call me Gaara, and we will move on. I know that you must be tired, so we will postpone our meeting until later. I merely wanted to welcome you at this time." He gestured to Matsuri who clasped Sakura at the elbow and began to pull her from the room. Sakura remembered her manners, though, and halted the other girl.

"Thank you, again, Gaara-sama," she replied with a low bow, before turning to follow the other girl.

When the women were gone, the red-headed Kazekage looked at the ninja who had once been his mentor.

"Tell, me about Haruno."

"Haruno Sakura is a talented kunoichi who has studied under great teachers such as Hatake Kakashi and the Fifth Hokage. She..." Gaara shook his head only slightly.

"I know her credentials. Tell me about _her_." Baki thought for a moment before swallowing hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"Well, sir, she seems a little...reluctant."

"What do you mean? Explain your words." Gaara was not known for his patience, and was in the process of losing what little he had at this very moment.

"It just seems that she has little confidence in herself. When she heard that Suna held her in high regard, she balked as though that idea were foreign to her. It seems that she does not think herself worthy of any sort of praise."

"I do not understand. She was weak at the chuunin exams, and when I fought Naruto. But she had changed when she came here to assist in my dilemma. She more-than proved herself when curing my brother."

"That's just it, sir, I don't think she sees it that way. That girl is sad, and angry, and has a very short fuse. I saw that while traveling with her. She is quick to anger, especially when she feels that one does not take her seriously. However, she is not completely unreasonable. She even apologized to me for being rude, when she was not entirely at fault." He rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed at allowing their little feud to go as far as he had. So, she was a kunoichi, there were more and more of them every year, and he had to deal with that. So what if he thought women deserved better than dying at the hands of enemy ninja, he certainly couldn't stop them from answering the call to serve their country. "Whoever is to be her escort must be very patient."

"It is Kankuro." The older man spluttered at this.

"Is this wise, sir? Why not Matsuri? They seem to have hit it off rather well..." Black-rimmed, teal eyes glared across the room. "I mean Kankuro should be fine."

"Good. That is all." At the dismissal, Baki turned and stepped out the door. He nearly bumped into said puppeteer on his way out. It took the man everything he had not to comment on how careful the youth needed to be in handling the Leaf kunoichi. Instead he merely nodded toward the boy, and stepped to Matsuri's desk to wait for her return in order to make an appointment to meet with the Kazekage at a later time. They still needed to deal with those two useless guards that he had met at the gates that morning.

Kankuro gruffly acknowledged his old teacher before entering his brother's office.

"You sent for me." He sounded almost angry at being called in so early.

Gaara took in his brother's visage. The normally exuberant young shinobi looked rumpled and disgruntled. He obviously had slept little the previous night.

"The detail from Konoha just arrived this morning." He watched as Kankuro's form stiffened. "I suggest that you deal with your issues before you meet with her tomorrow morning."

The older brother nodded. Gaara was right, he needed to get his shit together. What was worse is he really had little idea of what the problem was. He barely knew the little kunoichi, it was just that...aw, hell, he had no idea what what going on. At Gaara's cold tone, he snapped to.

"You will not embarrass Suna." It was not a question, nor a suggestion, that was pure order. And from how the red-head had said it, the brunette knew more than his village's reputation was on the line here.

The Kazekage went back to the mass of paperwork that had already accumulated that morning. Kankuro took this as a dismissal and started to leave before he heard Gaara's voice once more.

"Why do you fear her?" The voice was not accusatory, it was...curious.

Kankuro didn't even glance over his shoulder, he just looked at the doorknob in his hand.

"That's the problem. I don't fear her."

"If not fear, then what?" The tone had warmed, only slightly.

"I-I just don't know." He said softly before pushing the door open and leaving.

Gaara stared at the space that his brother had just moved from. He did not like seeing Kankuro like this. His eyes held depths of tempestuous emotions that Gaara knew nothing about. If it had been fear, he could handle that. Fear was an emotion Gaara understood. People had feared him his whole life. What he saw in Kankuro was something he knew nothing of. He sighed heavily before turning his attention to the missive that sat in front of him.

Where was Temari when he needed her?


	5. Apples

**A/N: Yay!! It's finally longer!! Sorry for the delay in updating. It's hard to find time alone to write lately, that and I wanted to spend more time fleshing the chapter out. I hope it works. So...enjoy and review. Thanks to all who have and continue to do so.**

**Own Naruto, I do not.**

Pulling Strings

Apples

At seven the next morning, when the knock sounded at her door, Sakura was already awake. Regretfully. And dressed. Even more regretfully. And ready for her first day on the job. Most regretfully.

_This feels uncomfortably like a Monday _whined her inner self. Sakura could only agree as she fought the urge to flop onto her bed and cover herself completely in luxuriously soft blankets.

The fact that the guest quarters in the Kazekage's tower put any five star hotel to shame had done little to relax the Leaf shinobi. It had puzzled the girl, who was used to sleeping in dirt, mud, and whatever other sludge could be found on the ground. Why couldn't she just fall asleep in the plush comfort of the bed that had been provided? A _bed_, mind you, not a futon, bedroll, or hammock; this was an actual _bed_. Not that her mind or body had actually cared. Once she had finally relaxed her travel-drained muscles, Sakura's mind reeled with what she would have to deal with the following morning.

And, now, it was morning, and she had to face the day without a wink of sleep. She just hoped that she could curb the bitchiness that seemed to tend to come with sleep deprivation. Well, time to find out.

With great flourish and a plastered-on smile, Sakura opened the door to greet her escort and saw...nothing. She blinked at least three times before peeking out into the hallway. After a tentative 'hello' into the void of the corridor, the girl stepped out the door. Before she could make it very far, though, the door slammed shut behind her, and it was locked.

"Oh, shit," the girl squeaked as she realized that she had not yet placed her room key into her hip pouch. But that really didn't matter since her hip pouch and weapons pouch were both currently lying on her bed waiting to be strapped into place. As were her headband and medic skirt.

Steeling herself in order not to explode over such a trivial occurrence, the girl took a deep calming breath. This was one of the few things that Kakashi had taught her; how to use breathing to bring herself to a calm center. It was meant as a way to keep her from lashing out angrily every five seconds at Naruto's annoying prattling. But it also worked in stupid situations in which a jounin-level kunoichi should never find herself. Like being locked out of her room...when she didn't remember having the window open...How did the door close on its own?

Using her skills at chakra control, Sakura created a thin 'spike' of green chakra that came out from the tip of her right forefinger. With this 'spike', much like a chakra-scalpel that she may use in surgery, the pink-haired girl picked the lock on the door to her room.

Once the lock was picked, she poked her head into the door just enough to see someone sitting on the bed, eating an apple. He smiled cheekily, and Sakura remembered that arrogant look. Well, the purple face paint and pointed ears on his uniform's hood, also helped. What the hell was he doing in her room?

She stepped inside cautiously, only to have three shuriken come flying at her in fast succession. Her eyes widened as all three hit their mark right in her stomach. Then, placing her hand on one of the weapons as if to pull it from the wound, she looked at him. And returned his cheeky smile, then disappeared with a POP.

"A shadow clone?" Came his startled question as she slid onto the bed behind him, placing a kunai at the back of his neck.

"Ah ah, Kankuro, you can't catch me that easily...Hey, why no puppets?" Suddenly she realized her mistake. Of course he had his puppets, she was actually talking to one. Karas turned its head fully around so that she was looking into its eyes, and that's when she felt the kunai at her back.

"You've gotten better, Haruno, but I think you've gotten a bit soft. When was your last mission?" He asked into her ear teasingly.

That did it. Turning the full force of her anger on the cocky bastard, Sakura whirled on Kankuro. It didn't matter that he still held his weapon on her.

"What the hell are you doing in my room, you idiot? Don't you have any manners? Just wait until my escort gets here...You're my escort, aren't you..." All fight fizzled when he emphatically nodded. "Fine, just give me a minute to finish getting ready."

Sighing heavily and wondering just what she had gotten herself into, Sakura climbed off the bed and moved around its foot. Kankuro returned to his seat on the edge and continued eating his apple. The girl tried to ignore the man as she strapped the medic skirt around her waist followed by her hip pouch. So in tune to ignoring him completely was she that she didn't catch the admiring eye that watched her deftly attached her weapons pouch to her right thigh. Finally, she couldn't ignore the idiot's constant crunching.

"Just where did you get that apple, anyways? Aren't they hard to get here, especially at this time of year?" Her hands set to tying her headband as she glared at him.

"Not as difficult as you might think, for me anyways. Others may not find it so easy."

"What the hell does that mean?" Just then her stomach decided to give a vicious growl to let her know that it still needed breakfast. The girl placed a hand there for a moment, then looked at Kankuro sheepishly.

"Here," he tossed her a spare apple, "I thought you'd want breakfast, too. Anyways, you can eat that on the way."

"Hmmm?" Sakura seemed a little confused as she looked up from the juicy piece of fruit that now rested in her hands. It was huge, she nearly needed both hands to hold the thing, and it was so ripe and...looked so yummy.

"Hello...earth to Sakura...You have to go meet the Medical Corps today, then meet with the hospital staff..." She vaguely heard all of this as she relished in the joy of the apple.

It took a few minutes for her to come to her senses before realizing that Kankuro was standing with his head to the side eyeing her warily.

"Sorry," she mumbled around a mouthful of fruit, "it's just so good." He just shook his head and gestured for her to leave before him.

Once Sakura had devoured her breakfast, and the two were meandering their way through the city toward the hospital, which housed the civilian doctors, as well as the shinobi medics, the two began to discuss her schedule. As it turned out, she had much to do this first day. What with learning her daily routine at the hospital, she also had to attend social functions.

"But, I don't have anything to wear to something like that..." Her brow furrowed deeply.

"Hey...I think Matsuri if off-duty today. Maybe I could ask her to meet you this afternoon to help you shop." Her eyes lit up like shiny green diamonds.

"You would do that?" She practically screeched.

"Yeah, well, I owe you for sneaking into your room, right? So, this is my pay back."

"I don't know what I'll find on such short notice, though." Sakura's face dropped so quickly that Kankuro nearly tripped over it.

"Nah, don't worry, you'll find something. You've filled out pretty nicely. Just make sure that whatever you wear, it shows off those sexy legs." He stated matter-of-factly, but all seriousness was lost when Kankuro went somersaulting down the street from her punch to the back of his head.

Once he was able to shake of the dizziness of his tumble, the puppeteer frowned up at the shadow that stood over him. She stood with hands on hips in a pose that, most sane people quickly learned, meant she was not at all happy.

"What'd I say," he whined up to the shadow.

"Idiot," was all she said as she hoisted him off the ground and helped him dust his uniform and puppets off.

They entered the hospital with little ceremony. Sakura, all huffy and agitated, and Kankuro with a large goose-egg forming on the back of his skull.

A tall leggy nurse saw the man enter the building, but did not notice the small figure who walked with him still grumbling.

"Oh, Kankuro-sama, what's wrong? How did you get that nasty bump on your head?" She ran up to him and started pulling at his hands to see his wound, conveniently rubbing her well-endowed form against his body.

"He's fine, for being a pervert," came Sakura's low growl. The nurse turned a disdainful eye at her before continuing to coo and coddle the puppet-ninja who suddenly seemed sore all over.

"Come on, you poor thing, let's get you set up in a room." The very pretty nurse with a way-to-short uniform tugged on the shinobi.

"I said he's fine, and I really hope this hospital isn't actually run this poorly. I'm really not very impressed." Sakura sighed while taking a sweeping look at the entrance of the hospital.

"Wait a minute," the nurse had heard this, and was none-too-pleased with Sakura's tone. "Just who do you think you are..."

"Let's see, there is one man sitting in the waiting room who has a compound fracture to his leg, which needs surgery now, or it will fester. The woman sitting on the far end of the room needs medical attention, now, or she will miscarry...Ummm... the pervert next to me just got a little too mouthy and needs no medical attention at all. Kazekage's brother or not." She was staring coldly at the nurse who had retracted her hold on Kankuro's arm and was looking to him for an answer. "I want to speak with the attending physician as well as whatever medical ninja are in the building. NOW."

"M-may I ask who's calling?" The nursed was positively scared by this point.

"Haruno Sakura, I'm your new boss." She said tersely as she made her way to the woman who was clutching her abdomen. "Kankuro, you can help me."

She sent him to tend to the man with the broken leg; he was to get information about the accident. However, both males were unable to continue their conversation once she began her work on the other woman.

Sakura knelt next to the worried mother-to-be and, putting her hand to the woman's forehead, sent a light pulse of chakra into her temple. The woman's body relaxed, and Sakura pushed her into a reclining position. From there, she placed her hands on the woman's stomach, sending more chakra into her body. After a few long moments of intense concentration, evident in furrowed brow and lines of perspiration above her upper lip, the Leaf medic released her flow and leaned back on her heels.

"There, mother and baby should be fine, now." She gave herself a gratified nod before rising and coming toward her small audience. "Now, what happened to you?" Her tone was still all business, but it was softer than when she had dealt with the nurse.

By the time the attending physician and the on-duty medical ninja made their way into the waiting room, Sakura had already tended to the man's leg. He needed serious surgery, but at least he would keep the limb.

Dusting her hands, she stood and addressed her little assembly.

"This man needs immediate surgery. Two nurses need to take him and prep him...now. The woman is stable, but she needs some recovery. Two nurses need to get her into a bed...now." The sharpness of her voice brooked no argument, and a couple of the nurses, including the one she had already dealt with, hopped to. That was when she whirled on the senior staff.

"I no longer wonder why your Kazekage requested assistance. This hospital is a sham, but we will remedy that." Her voice was cool, but still razor sharp.

The civilian doctor did not exactly like being insulted by a girl less than half his age.

"Look here, young lady, it is our policy to attend to shinobi before all else..."

"That policy is ridiculous. Shinobi are to be tended to by medical ninja, not civilian doctors, unless absolutely necessary. On the other hand, medical ninja are to assist your physicians whenever needed. Shinobi are here for the benefit of the civilians, and they are not to be treated better." At the first sign of interruption, the woman allowed her voice to raise as she took her token 'angry' stance. "Your shinobi should understand this rule, and so should your medical staff. Or, are you too concerned with kissing ass to actually try to be of benefit to your patients?"

Her rant only skipped a beat before she continued. The medical ninja seemed subdued or even cowed by her, but the civilian doctor and the remaining nurses weren't so smart.

"So, this is what we are going to do to fix this little disaster," she stated while sweeping her hand in a motion that signified the entirety of the hospital. "First, you nurses will get me all of the personnel files of the staff, and get them to my office. You do have one set up for me?" They nodded. "Good, now I want those files within the hour." She turned to the ninja. "Who is the ranking shinobi here?" At this, a tall young man with skin as pale as his white hair stepped forward. She nodded to him, then addressed the rest. "I want files on all members of the Medical Corps in my office within the hour."

The civilian doctor, finally getting tired of this tart little girl, flew off the handle.

"Just who do you think you are? You can't just come in here and boss us around." The medical jounin spoke for her.

"Actually, yes she can. This is Haruno Sakura, and she is now acting as head of both the Medical Corps and the hospital." The doctor looked from the pale ninja to Sakura, then back. His mouth dropped open, and Kankuro was no longer able to stifle his laughter at this display. Sakura had just put the entire medical personnel of Suna in its place, and she had only been in the building fifteen minutes.

"Well, with that over, you two will join me in checking in on the patients. I want to make sure that _we_ are doing all that _we_ can for them."

When only the shinobi began to move to follow the order, her tightly reined in anger slipped.

"I suggest you all get going...NOW." Fire sparked in her eyes, and, in a whirl of retreating bodies, Kankuro soon found himself in the room with only Sakura, the pale ninja, and the doctor. He snickered again. Green eyes flashed in his direction.

"Unless you want to spend the day working through medical charts, I suggest you leave." The demand wasn't too snide, but he got the hint and turned to leave the building.

"Come on you two, let's see if we can save any lives today." Her voice had returned to its light and cheery self.

As he left the hospital, Kankuro found himself feeling a tad strange. Sakura could be so scary, but, damn, was she hot when she got all fired up like that.


	6. Weapons Check

**A/N: Another chapter. Taking a bit of time in building the plot in this fic, and this chapter is building banter between some of the characters. Hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews from my continuous fans.**

**Naruto is not mine...at all...damn..**

Pulling Strings

Weapons Check

Sakura did not realize how late it was until Matsuri entered her tiny office. The room was little more than a converted broom closet. It didn't even have window, and the desk looked like it had just come out of an academy classroom. But it worked well enough for Sakura to do some serious damage to some egos on her first day as Suna's Head of All Things Medical.

"Ummm...Haruno-san?" The girl called from the doorway. Deep green eyes, dark with exhaustion and fatigue blinked at her.

"Matsuri? What are you doing here?"

"Well, you are requested to attend a function this evening, and Kankuro-sama asked that I assist you in shopping for clothes."

Sakura groaned. She had so much work to do. Day One on the job was sure to be the first of many dedicated to the gruelling evaluation of all of the hospital personnel. She had met with the top civilian doctor, a man named Takei, who, thankfully, was not the man who had been so reluctant to do his job when she first arrived. Takei had been appalled at the other man's actions and was prepared to take action immediately. Sakura, though sorely tempted, declined, stating that the state of hospital affairs was what was truly appalling. Takei had balked at this, not really sure how to take her bluntness.

The fact was, the hospital was terribly understaffed. And the current staff was not completely top quality. Thus, before Sakura could even begin to weed out the bad seeds, she would need to meet with the Kazekage about procuring more medical staff. And that was going to be the heart of most of her problems; Money. In Konoha, medical issues were looked at first, but then again, the Hokage was a medic. In Suna, it may be different, considering that Gaara had only been seriously injured once in his life. Well, twice if you counted when Naruto kicked his ass.

Realizing that there was much to be desired in the staffing of the civilian medical team, Sakura had turned to Seido, the pale ninja who would act as her second-in-command. The man had vast medcial knowledge, and he had an administrative air to him. This would prove useful on those days that Sakura could not keep her anger in check.

The two had whittled down the shinobi medics into categories. They ranked from A-class to C-class. The A ranked ninja were those who were the most capable, and they would take on the task of assisting the civilian doctors as well as teaching the lower ranked medics. B ranked would spend time acting as nurses, while learning more hands-on methods. C ranked were academy level, and they would spend much of their days in the classroom. There were few A-ranked medics, but the B-ranked outnumbered the C-ranked, which meant that at least most of Suna's Medical Corps had some medical training.

Sakura and Seido had spent most of their day drafting a rotating schedule, complete with alternates who would fill in for any shinobi that may be sent on a mission. After posting this schedule, the two had dug into the vastness that were the medical files of the hospital's patients. And this was what the pink-haired woman had been doing when Matsuri showed.

"Is this really necessary? I have a lot of work to do." She knew that this function would not be blown off so easily, but she really did have a lot to do.

"I'm sorry, Haruno-san, but we must go soon. Time is very short." The girl with hair nearly as black as Sasuke's stated.

It only took a few moments for Sakura to gather up a few of the more important files for further study, and the two were soon on their way. As they made their way toward the shopping district of Suna, Sakura spoke.

"So, Matsuri, you seem to have changed since I last saw you..." Out of the corner of her eye Sakura saw the younger kunoichi blush.

"It's alright, Haruno-san, I don't mind." The girl looked sideways at Sakura. "I spent my academy years, as well as my genin years under the tutelage of the Kazekage. I grew to admire him much and became infatuated. My first crush." He cheeks grew darker red, especially at Sakura's snort.

"Girl, I could tell you a thing or two about infatuation. Remember, I was a fan-girl once, too." This encouraged Matsuri.

"I was greatly surprised when Kazekage-sama asked me to become his assistant. So was everyone else; he even seemed surprised, himself. He said that I already knew him well enough to know what not to do in his presence." Another snicker from Sakura.

"Meaning he knew you well enough to trust you." The girl stopped speaking at this thought as if it had never occurred to her. They walked on in silence for a little while.

"Sakura." The pink-haired one stated plainly. At Matsuri's startled look, she elaborated. "Call me Sakura. I prefer for shinobi to call me by my familiar name. All-too-often do I find their lives in my hands, and it calms me to be familiar with my comrades. Now the civilian doctors, on the other hand, can continue to call me 'Haruno' or 'Bitch' or 'Psycho Leaf Lady' or whatever." This elicited a laugh from the younger girl, and all of her tension seemed to seep away.

The two entered a lovely little shop that looked like it was about to close. The shop owner flew to the door as the girls entered.

"Ah, this must be the lovely Haruno-san. Let me have a look at you." The woman eyed Sakura speculatively. After several thorough once-overs and under-the-breath comments about how manly kunoichi were, she pushed the medic into a dressing room.

An hour later, Matsuri and Sakura both left the shop carrying bags. Sakura had chosen a few new 'formal' outfits befitting her new post as a dignitary of Konoha. One of which was her dress for this evening's dinner.

"Matsuri, you don't think it's too short, do you?" Sakura nearly whined at the other girl. She had not wanted to buy the tiny dress, instead opting for one that was a bit more conservative, but neither the shop-owner nor Matsuri would hear otherwise.

"That dress was made for you, Sakura-san. It complements your eyes and hair as well as your body type. And, it will suit the event." Matsuri was more than a little upset by the fact that she had been forced into buying a dress as well, just so that the other young woman would make her purchase.

"But, it will get cold, won't it? It is fall, after all." The raven-haired girl sighed heavily as the young women entered the Kazekage's tower.

"The evening will cool down, but you will not notice. The rooms in the building are already being heated at night, plus there will be more than enough people to keep the hall warm. Don't worry."

"You're wearing yours too, right?" Another long sigh. It was one thing getting another woman to wear a dress that was meant for her, but wearing something so...revealing, herself, was another matter. Why had she agreed to this in the first place? Temari was more suited for this game. Where was she when Matsuri really needed her?

The two stooped at the door to Sakura's room.

"Kankuro-sama will be here shortly to escort you, so please hurry." With that, the young woman turned and headed to her own quarters.

When she entered her room, Sakura smiled to herself. Yeah, the dress the others had picked out was beautiful, but the one they had conned Matsuri into buying was a Godsend. She only hoped that it would catch a certain red-head's eye. Speaking of catching eyes, Sakura had only been pretending that she wasn't sure about her own dress. Yeah, it was a little short for her, but she would deal with it. She was hoping to catch someone's attention this evening, just who's she wasn't really sure.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. The pink-haired medic rushed to open it in a flurry of green. She had hurried to get ready, but she still needed to finish her make-up. That had been a daunting task, considering that she was a shinobi who normally didn't wear such frivolous things. Sure, she had worn make-up and perfume when she was a genin, but it hadn't taken Kakashi long to break her of it. Both could be scented by enemies, therefore, both were a no-no for basic ninja work. In the long run, this had helped her drop many of her illusions of what it meant to be a kunoichi, while assisting her in fitting in with the boys on her team.

Kankuro stepped into the room as she sped by, hurrying back into the bathroom.

"I'll be done in just a sec." He closed the door and leaned against it. Good thing he did, too, because when he did get full sight of the girl, he nearly fell over.

Haruno Sakura had definitely grown up. Gone was the gangly girl of only a few months ago who had yet to grow into her body. All skinny and lanky limbs had filled out, and she had curves. Her normal shinobi attire did nothing but hide the goddess's body that she possessed, but now he could see every smooth line that made up her frame. Her legs were short but well-toned from years of intense training, with thighs to die for. Her hips flared out wonderfully before drawing back into a tiny waist that he was sure he could fit one hand around. From there, it was all feminine grace and strength, with well-defined arms and smooth skin. Her breasts swelled out in perfect, curvy proportion to her sleek body.

The true beauty was the open back of the deep, forest green dress that tied around her neck and hung to just above her knees. When Sakura turned around to close the bathroom door, Kakuro had to check himself to see if he was drooling. Her back was pleasantly on display, but the dress did so tastefully. Her shoulders and upper back were open for all the world to enjoy the muscular design of a practiced kunoichi, without showing so much flesh that nothing was left to the imagination. The only flaw he could see was the two-inch long scar that ran just below her right shoulder blade. A cut from a kunai, perhaps?

When she turned back, he caught sight of the beautiful face that was delicately enhanced by powder and liner. Her eyes popped brilliantly due to the matching hue of her dress. And her hair. God, her hair was amazing. The pinkness flowed across her shoulders and down her nape like a fountain. He swallowed audibly.

"Oh, God, Kankuro, your nose is bleeding." She rushed to him grabbing some tissues from the bedside table. He teetered when she got close and he could smell the very light perfume that hinted at ginger. "Are you okay? Do we need to get a replacement for you for tonight? Maybe I need to examine you."

He pushed her hands back softly, trying not to ruin the picture of delicacy that was trying to tend to him. He may not have wanted to spend the evening sucking up to some local clan leader, but he damned sure wasn't going to let someone else be close to her when she looked like this. As he shook his head and tried to find words to tell her that he was fine, the girl furrowed her brow and glared at him with a bit of fire in her eyes.

Ah, there she was. That was the Sakura he knew. He had almost forgotten who it was that he was dealing with.

After a small argument over whether or not she should give him a quick check-up, the two left for their dinner.

"Hey, Kankuro?"

"Hmm?"

"Since I have to get all dressed up like some sort of pretty little doll for display, why are you still wearing your Banraku gear?" He had been waiting for this question, sure that she would be jealous that he had not been forced into formal attire.

"It seems that, though I am acting as your escort, I am still a ninja on a mission. I have to be able to protect you at any time, so I need my gear to do so." She stopped and turned another glare on him.

"But, I'm a shinobi who's on a mission, too. Why can't I just wear my own gear? And I don't need to be protected."

"But, you are representing your village as both a shinobi and a dignitary." He started back down the hall. "And, there's no way you could fight dressed like that. You're not even armed."

"You'd be surprised how many weapons I currently have on me." He heard from the person sulking beside him. His heart nearly tripped over itself. Where could she be hiding weapons in that dress?

"Come on, Sakura-_chan_, you've got to put on your little show for the nobility," he opened the door to the dining hall with great ceremony, while she cringed at the use of the endearment. First Naruto, then Kakashi, and now this guy, too? "But, maybe later, you can show me where you're hiding those weapons." She shot him a sideways look and caught his little smirk just as they were both swept up in the tide of favor-seekers.


	7. Who Is She?

**A/N: So sorry that it's been taking so long to update. House is busy, and I've been trying to lengthen the chapters. Hope this one is okay. Trying to build a bit of a rapport between the main characters. Don't know if I fell short or not, but it is what it is. Let me know what you think. Loves.**

**Kankuro is not mine, but I do own an action figure with his likeness. Now if only I could expand its size and give it moving parts...hmmmm...**

Pulling String

Who Is She?

The 'function' that Sakura had been forced to attend was more of a dinner party than anything. As soon as she and Kankuro entered the room, she was whisked into the middle of the fray by a couple of Suna's council members. She was introduced to several big-shots from Suna as well as outlying villages. There was no way she would remember all of their names.

The night flew into a whirlwind as she was expected to make small talk with small groups of people of great self-importance. Her one saving grace was that Gaara had taken it upon himself to intersect as many questions as possible. She couldn't help but notice that the Kazekage looked as uninterested and uncomfortable as she felt.

She completely lost sight of Kankuro early on, and vaguely thought that this made for a poor escort and she was going to let him know about it. Soon enough, however, all thoughts of the puppet-master left her mind when she took in a familiar sight. It turned out that the man holding this little shindig was the head of a very prominent clan in the village, and that he was also the father of Takashi Ritsu, one of the ninja who had escorted her from Konoha.

"You look absolutely lovely, Haruno-san," the black-haired shinobi bowed to her while bringing her hand up for a kiss. She had to admit that it was a little corny, but couldn't help the blush that tinted her cheeks. "How are you enjoying your time in our little village, thus far?"

The girl with the pink hair nearly swallowed her tongue. This man who was maybe a year older than she was not the same Ritsu who had helped her when dealing with Baki. That _boy_ had been soft spoken and smart, this _man_, though still soft spoken, demanded attention. That was evident by the fact that all of the women in the room were now glaring at her. Why the sudden change in his attitude?

Sakura took a moment to really look at the guy and had to catch her breath. He was beautiful, much better looking than Sasuke. _His _raven hair was so black, its highlights were purple. And his eyes were the color of honey, which set off the feminine lines of his face. His movements were nothing but graceful. He carried all the air of someone high-born.

That's when it clicked. Ritsu was the heir to his clan, which meant that he had to be a certain way in public. But who was the true Ritsu; the dominant heir or the sweet ninja?

"Haruno-san, you look like you could use some air." He then made excuses to the group that she had been speaking to and whisked her away out of the room.

As Sakura was becoming reacquainted with a new friend, Gaara had stepped away to find her escort.

"Leave us," he demanded of the cute little blond who had cuddled up next to Kankuro at the bar. The girl 'eeped' quietly and took off like a bat out of hell.

"Now what'd you go and do that for?" Kankuro glared at his younger brother.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a mission?"

"Yeah, and it's really cramping my style. These functions are soooo boring." The whining had begun. "Why can't Matsuri escort her?" He looked pointedly at his brother's assistant, then did a double take.

Gaara followed his brother's line of sight and responded to what he saw by audibly clinching his teeth.

"Well, well, this is new." Then the older sibling whistled low, only to be heard by his companion. "If I'd known she really looked like that, I would have given that girl a try a long time ago." Gaara's tooth-grinding had grown loud enough for the bar-tender to give him a questioning look.

Matsuri was stunning. She wore her sinfully black hair down across her shoulders, and her violet eyes sparkled thanks to the powder that she wore on her eyelids. A light pink gloss covered her lips. Then there was the dress. Pale violet, a shade lighter than her eyes, and creamy looking against her tan skin. The silky material clung to her still-developing curves. Every man who saw her knew that she would be a heart-breaker when she got older.

One man was seeing her as she truly was, and he was not happy with the attention that she was getting. He tore his eyes away from the girl.

"Your mark just left the room. I suggest you go find her, and..do..your..job.." Gaara ground out before he made a bee-line for his assistant.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Kankuro asked himself as he headed toward the door.

When he and Sakura had entered the room, Kankuro's head had been spinning. He couldn't stop looking at her. It was so sad that he, of all people, couldn't take his thoughts off of a woman. So, he had left her so that he could clear his mind. That, and the political bullshit that was flying was not his cup of tea. He knew that she was in good hands with Gaara, so had allowed himself to converse with a few of the cuter girls flitting here and there.

That was until Takashi Ritsu had sauntered up to her. As the two conversed and Sakura started to blush sweetly, it had taken Kankuro everything to remain seated next to the blond who had been trying to get him to come home with her. Any other day, he would have gone, but, seriously, he _was_ on a mission.

He had shaken his head at that thought. Since when did a mission affect his libido?

Gaara apparently did not like Takashi making a move on the pinkette, considering that he had chosen that moment to remind Kankuro of his duties. Another odd thought struck the brunette. If Gaara was so worried about Sakura, why had he been so thoroughly distracted by the appearance of Matsuri? Temari would know. Where the hell was she when a guy needed her?

With his younger brother off to chastise his assistant about...something, Kankuro decided that he needed to rescue Sakura from Ritsu. It was not news to either of the ranking shinobi of the Sand village as to why the Takashi family was funding this little event. It had also not gone unnoticed as to why that pretty-boy Ritsu had taken notice in the girl. This was a power play, and the lead family of the village was expecting on winning favor by forging a relationship with the Leaf kunoichi. Knowing that family, they would probably even try to gain a marriage contract. Kankuro snorted at this. They obviously did not know Gaara that well, nor Sakura for that matter.

A political marriage of the sort would taste bad to the Kazekage. He had spent most of his life being utilized as a weapon for the sake of his village, and had grown to detest political alliances that impeded on the rights of those involved. Arranged, political marriages just so happened to be one of those alliances that he hated. This frame of mind had saved Temari on numerous occasions.

Kankuro also knew that Sakura would never allow herself to be used like that. But...she had taken to the Takashi heir's presence very easily. Surely Sakura wasn't gullible enough to think that the man had good intentions...right?

He sped up his pace as he searched the halls, trying to feel for their chakra signatures.

That was when he saw the outline of a body as it hit a wall in the room opposite the wall next to him. Okay, so maybe the girl really could take care of herself. He rushed into the room, hoping he was in time to diffuse the situation; no need for a political situation, even if the jerk deserved whatever had befallen him.

Once inside the room, it took Kankuro everything he had not to burst out in laughter at what he saw.

Takashi Ritsu was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor near the inner wall, his body having made a severe indentation in the concrete. He was not unconscious, but plainly uncomfortable. With a _very _angry cherry blossom standing over him. Kankuro almost felt sorry for the guy...almost.

"Oi, Sakura, what's up? I came to check on you and walk in on you trying to force feed the wall to this guy." He raised a brow as the girl turned her glare in his direction. That look would take some getting used to; she could singe plant-life with it.

"We were having a polite discussion, then this jerk decided to get a little touchy..." Her left eye gave a disturbing twitch.

"Ugh, I did not touch the lady..." was all the dark-haired kid got out before being scorched again by her look.

"Not for the lack of trying..." She crossed her arms over herself, angry and defiant. "Never touch me without my permission." Her voice had a hard edge that Kankuro had never heard before, even when trying to defend the Uchiha against Gaara's attacks when they were younger.

The puppeteer was at a slight loss. He had no idea what to do in this situation. His mission was to protect Sakura, but he also needed to protect the heir to a major clan from scandal. What would people say when they heard that the Takashi heir was a lech? Not that he really cared, but both Gaara and Sakura might care about what the rumor mill may say. Just as he was spinning his wheels trying to diffuse the situation while interjecting his body between the two shinobi who were currently sending death glares at one another, help arrived. He mused momentarily on the fact that Sakura was the definite victor in the staring contest, considering that Takashi seemed rather crispy after holding her fiery gaze, before turning to his rescuer.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Came Baki's stern voice from the doorway. He was flanked by two other Sand ninja, probably a couple of the unlucky guys on guard duty this evening. Baki looked to Kankuro for an answer, who in turn looked to Sakura. The girl just rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Why did it have to be Baki?

Baki looked from Kankuro to Sakura, then he noticed the body slumped against the wall. His gaze returned to Kankuro.

"That would be Ritsu-kun, then." Was that mild amusement coloring his voice? Sakura was slightly stunned. Why wasn't he completely ripping her apart for being a stupid _kunoichi _who didn't know her place. "Might I ask who put our man in his place?" Was he stifling laughter, too? Kankuro merely pointed to the woman whom he was escorting. She turned a bewildered gaze toward the brunette. Sure, she could have pegged him for a bastard, but a snitch?

Just as she began to splutter an apology, Baki succumbed to...giggles. Well, he snorted obnoxiously before placing his hand over his mouth and turning away. The other ninja, one of whom just so happened to be Ritsu's red-headed teammate, stood in the door snickering. Finally, Kankuro joined in the fun in a riotous fit of laughter.

Sakura stood, red-faced, getting angrier by the moment. Were they laughing at her? Why?

Baki composed himself with much difficulty and addressed Kankuro.

"I'm sure that Haruno-san could use some air after this ordeal..." She started to interrupt. "Do not worry, girl, I will inform the Kazekage, and he will make your excuses." This struck Sakura as very presumptuous. How could he know that Gaara would understand why she had left an event that was being held in her honor? Especially when she had yet to explain her actions. Her thoughts must have been written on her face.

"Takashi has a certain reputation when it comes to acting like a spoiled brat, especially when it comes to obtaining something he thinks he deserves." Kankuro spoke while pointedly giving her a once-over, cocking a brow.

The insinuation that she was a prize to be had had the girl's face turning shades that made her hair look colorless. She almost flew at the prone man, once again. Thankfully, his teammate had moved in to help him from the room.

"Kankuro-sama, one should not cast stones..." Was Baki's cryptic remark as he turned sharply to leave the room. Sakura's mood immediately changed from fury to total curiosity.

"What did he mean by that?" She blinked owlishly at the puppet-master. The man shrugged as if it didn't matter. He moved in to stand beside her for a moment, then he held out an arm.

"Come on, I agree with Baki, you need some air. And, by the way, you blush rather brilliantly, Sakura-_chan_..."

Her elbow caught him in the ribs, and he 'oofed' softly. By the time, he caught up with her, she was storming her way out of the building, muttering about 'assholes who can't keep their hands to themselves.'

_So much for hooking up, tonight, huh? _She thought to herself as she made her way out of the Kazekage's tower.

_I think that Ritsu guy liked you just fine..._Her inner self snorted.

_Yeah right, he moved way too fast. Besides, it was all just a political move anyways. All these pretty clan heirs think the same..._

Her thoughts were completely derailed when she felt a heavy weight across her shoulders. She looked up to see Kankuro tossing her a wink before focusing on the road ahead of them. He had placed an arm across her shoulders, as if it _belonged _there. He began whistling tunelessly.

_Now, speaking of pretty boys and moving fast... Sure wouldn't mind a chunk of the middle Sand Sibling here... _Sakura gaped at her inner self. Did she really think that way about _Kankuro_? No. Absolutely not.

Sakura's body tensed at the thought of him as anything more than an acquaintance. And, instead of being a nice guy, the puppeteer just cocked a brow at her and tightened his hold.

"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan, it's pretty cold out, and that dress leaves little to the imagination and a lot to get chilled. And as much as I wouldn't mind seeing you covered in goosebumps, it wouldn't be cool for you to catch a cold." Sakura had bristled at the use of _chan_, but relaxed after he finished his thought. He was right...and he was warm, too...

She chanced a sideways glance at the brunette and was struck for a moment with a thought of how it was such a shame that he always wore that damned face paint. She remembered how much she had thought he looked like Kiba when she had first seen him sans makeup, and that thought slid into her brain once again, if only for a moment. Actually, he was nothing like the dog-nin who she had tried dating for a few months.

Did that ever turn out poorly. After they had become intimate, not nearly far enough into their short relationship, the man with the canine attributes had become totally possessive, and she had wondered several times if he would go so far as to pee in her shoe just to mark his territory. She shuddered at the thought, eliciting a tighter hold from the very male ninja who was holding her.

_Wonder if he's as possessive as dog-breath?_ Her inner self dead-panned.

That was a thought she didn't really want to entertain, so she turned back to the events that had veered her toward this path. Not that she really minded being almost groped by a guy who was tall, dark, and.. well.. ninja. Too bad she had been too focused on curing the poison to remember what he looked like under the purple paint.

Need to change thoughts...now.

"He just seemed so different on the trip from Konoha," she mused aloud. Kankuro glanced at her as if startled that she had spoken. He was actually startled that she was letting him touch her, especially after what he had just seen. Maybe she really was cold...

"Who, Takashi? Nah, he puts on a show for the ladies, but he really is a bastard." The pink head shook from side to side.

"Yeah, well, it only took about five minutes to figure out what he was after. No, I mean Baki. He treated me like I had some kind of weird woman/kunoichi disease that he might catch..." She was cut off by a loud snort.

"Yeah, most people get that from him. Actually, he respects and admires women, and thinks that it is wasteful to allow them to be shinobi. He has had to torture and kill enough of them that it makes him physically ill to think that any woman from Suna, any female that he may know, could actually be harmed at the hands of an enemy."

Sakura's eyes grew rather large, they looked like shiny green baseballs.

"Ehhh... He isn't a sexist ass?! I thought Ritsu was just kidding when he told me that."

"Do you actually think Temari would be able to wield Baki's ninjutsu if he hated women?" Her hands flew to her mouth as she stepped out of his grasp.

"He taught her his own ninjutsu?" At the boy's nod, she cringed. "Crap, looks like I owe him another apology..." Kankuro's eyes narrowed, clearly expecting an explanation, but got no such thing. Instead, he got a tart response that he would have never expected.

"He should give lessons to other shinobi..." Her voice trailed off. He regarded her calmly, waiting for her to elaborate, but the girl just mumbled to herself for a moment while looking at her toes.

He asked her what she meant. A shrug was her reply. They stood awkwardly for a minute before Kankuro sighed heavily, then plopped down on a rock that sat at his feet. Sakura looked around; they had stopped just outside of the ninja training grounds. She sat on the rock next to the puppet-nin.

"So...not really used to being the spectacle of the party, huh?" He tried to get her to lighten up with a nudge to the shoulder.

"That obvious, is it?" She rolled her eyes, then completely floored her companion, once again. "Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, with the Great Copy-nin Hatake Kakashi as sensei. I was a little girl with a huge crush and no ninjutsu. How do you think I fared among all of that inherent greatness?" The last was spoken as if it were bitter, and she needed to spit it out to rid herself of the taste.

Whoa...This was not the bright-eyed happy girl he remembered. The one who threw herself at Gaara to rescue Uchiha. This was not the spirited medic who had saved his life. This was not the confident _woman _who had single-handedly turned their Medical Corps around in a day. There was pain there, and lots of it...

"You know, the people here love you..."

"They don't know me." She spat.

"They may not know _you_, but they recognize your abilities. What's more, they _want_ to know you." He wrapped his arm around her shivering body once again and awaited her sharp jab to his side. Surely she was pissed enough not to recognize his gesture of comfort.

She tensed a bit but did not jab him and did not pull away. She _really_ was cold.

"So, how many more of these functions must I attend?"

"Hmph, you're stuck until the _new_ wears off, and God only knows how long that will be," he chortled while ruffling her hair with his free hand.

She slapped him lightly on the back, but took notice of something that was a bit alarming.

"You boys and carrying weapons that are too heavy for you..." was her mutter as she shook her head lightly.

He let out a yelp and started to move away when he felt her chakra enter his back at the base of the spine.

"W-what..." He blinked, his eyes now the size of baseballs. They were such a sweet shade of brown.

"Is it a rule in Suna to carry _huge _objects on your backs? You're so tense, I can't see how you're even able to walk." Slowly she poured more chakra into his back, just enough to loosen a few muscles. "This would work so much better without the uniform...maybe a full massage, even.." This last was said more to herself, than to him.

"Awww...Sakura-chan, if you wanted to get me naked, all you had to do was ask..."

He didn't finish his thought as he was knocked completely unconscious when her free hand fisted and impacted his face. He slumped, blood gushing.

"Dammit," the girl groaned as she pushed him back up so that she could heal the nose she had just broken. "Perverted bastard..."


	8. Can You Stand On Your Head Like This?

**A/N: Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it. I had a bit more fun writing this one, and I hope it shows. And, to answer a question, the name Ritsu was not actually from Fruits Basket, I took it from Loveless. That character, actually fits this one's personality a little better, too. Anyways, enjoy. Cookies to all of my reviewers and to all who have put me on alert. Loves.**

**They are not mine...again, dammit...**

Pulling Strings

Can You Stand On Your Head Like This?

**One Week Later...**

Gaara leaned against the window frame in his office. It was the very young hours of the morning; dawn was still several hours off. He, of course, had not been able to sleep well, thus he found himself at his desk prepared to start the day.

There was not much paperwork to be done at this time of day. Most normal people were still in their beds, so it would still be a while before the usual requests, complaints, and queries would begin to trickle in.

His eye drew across the small stack of papers that had been left from the previous day. It did disturb him that he had been forced, more often lately than he would like, to leave some of his work unfinished. But, with having a new dignitary in the village, there had been more dinners and social events than in all the time since he had become Kazekage.

Briefly, he felt a small twinge of pity for the pink-haired girl. He remembered all-to-well what it meant to be thrust into the spotlight. He imagined that it was more difficult for her because she had not taken an actual political position, she was just in the right place at the wrong time. That, and she represented the one village that the people of Suna strove to emulate. Poor girl, she had no idea what was in store for her.

He picked up the top-most missive and read through it quickly. A chuckle actually escaped him as a thin smile graced his lips. Another complaint about Haruno from one of the doctors whom she had put out in some way or another. It was indeed very funny that she had been able to shake up so many people in the course of a few days.

It had only taken hours that first day for the complaints to begin rolling in, and he had nearly called her in to put her in her place. He had been halted when he had received letters of compliment from a few patients that she had assisted on that first day. The relatives of a woman who had nearly suffered a miscarriage and a man who had needed serious leg surgery were astonished at the help the girl had offered. They praised his choice of head medic and her skills in the field.

He had decided right then that he needed to find a way to persuade Haruno to stay in Suna...permanently.

His resolution on the matter stood even firmer every day when he received more complaints from the civilian doctors. The Kazekage wasn't really sure if they were offended by the fact that she was a shinobi medic, a woman, or so young, but he knew that they despised the girl. These sentiments had allowed Sakura to clean house, now that she was in the process of hiring medical staff that fit _her _criteria. Gaara wondered if the doctors realized that she would come unglued if she were aware of their continuing complaints.

Hmmm... He did have a budget meeting with the girl this morning...

Standing back up, Gaara paced back over to the window to await the sunrise. Matsuri would be in soon with his breakfast...

Suddenly the man furrowed his non-existent brows as dark thoughts entered his mind. He still needed to talk with Matsuri about her behaviour of late. The girl still excelled at her duties as his assistant.; she could almost read his mind. She had even begun to develop a rapport with Haruno. The problem was those damned little dresses she had taken to wearing to their formal functions.

And it wasn't that they weren't appropriate, or that he didn't like them. Disturbingly, he had realized that he liked seeing her attired as such. The problem was the attention that the dresses had garnered from others. And he didn't really know why that bothered him so much. The girl was old enough to seek a suitor. And, considering that she was under the direct protection of the Kazekage, she would have her pick of the most acceptable. But he just didn't like the way the other men looked at her, and he had found himself stepping in at the most inopportune times.

And this had begun to strain his relationship with his assistant. Having an assistant who chose not to speak to him out of anger and exasperation was something he had no idea how to deal with.

Again, for the hundredth time that week, Gaara found himself wishing that Temari were home. She would know what to do.

**_A Few Hours Later..._**

Sakura was sleeping oh so nicely. Her dreams consisted of happier times when she was young and trying to impress a certain raven-haired hottie. They were in the midst of one of Kakashi's gruelling training exercises, one that she was having particular difficulty with, when she heard a loud _thump_.

_What the hell?_ Her dream self asked. She looked around at the others and noticed that they seemed not to have heard the noise. Wait...there it was again. Kind of like someone knocking on a door...

The third knock pulled Sakura out of her dream state. Her eyes opened slowly and she blinked to clear her vision.

Why would someone be knocking on the door so early? She didn't even look at the clock as she rolled herself off of the overly comfy bed and stumbled toward the door.

A wide-eyed, fully geared Kankuro stood blinking at her with his arm raised to knock again. The two stood staring at one another for a long moment. Well, he stared, she rubbed her sleep-crusted eyes.

"Ummm...Sakura-chan? Do you know what time it is?" The girl looked at him with heavy, dull eyes that did not show anywhere near their usual shiny vibrancy. She turned to glare at the clock that sat on the table next to her bed. 7:34AM.

"SHIT!!" She screeched as she scrambled to her dresser to pull out her uniform, pink hair trailing behind her. She took her clothes and ran into the bathroom. Not enough time for a shower, but she desperately needed to wash up. Her body was covered in the sweat of dreams. An amused voice laughed its way into her thoughts.

"I have never known of you to be late for anything, Sakura-chan. What gives?"

That teasing voice was enough to set her off on this already crappy day. She emerged from the bathroom, uniform shirt and shorts barely in place, hands sternly on hips.

"What is it with you guys and _chan_? First Naruto, then Kakashi of all people, and now you. It's maddening." Her hands flew in the air in a gesture of pure annoyance as she turned back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"Ah-ah, you answer my question first." He leaned against the door jamb and folded his arms over his chest, dark brown eyes watching the girl as she stomped back into the main room. She sighed heavily as she sat on the foot of the bed to secure her sandals.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I feel like I had just fallen asleep when you knocked. I must have turned off my alarm without fully waking." His expression turned serious.

"Maybe you need to take it easy for a couple of days. I mean you have been going non-stop since you got here. I'll talk to my brother..." Sharp green bore into him.

"I don't need your help when it comes to handling my work load. I know what I'm doing." Sakura's voice had taken a hard edge as if he were questioning her abilities, which he wasn't. Kankuro opened his mouth to tell her so, when she spoke instead. This time her voice had softened...minutely.

"So, what's with the _chan _shit?" Sakura glanced up at the puppet-nin briefly before focusing on attaching her weapons pouch to her thigh.

He shrugged lightly, arms still crossed as if bored. "Because I know it bugs you...Sakura-chan..."

If she didn't have a meeting with her _boss_ in like five minutes, the girl would have killed him on the spot.

Within a few minutes, Sakura was stepping into the hall closing the door to her room, and trying desperately to ignore the person walking next to her. She had been dealing with his perverted antics for the last week, and, frankly, he was beginning to wear on her nerves.

It wasn't that she really minded when he would take her hand and tell her how lovely her legs were. She didn't even really mind when he would leer in her direction and ask her what exact purpose her medic skirt served, considering that all it did was hide her curves from the world. And, therein lay the problem...She didn't mind Kankuro and his silliness, at all. What was going on with her?

_Ahem...Have you ever really looked at the guy. I mean...damn..._

She peeked over at the shinobi who was walking next to her. Yeah, he probably was good-looking, not that she could really tell with all that purple paint and the not-so-flattering one-piece. Wait, why was she thinking about this now?

Kankuro took notice of the fidgeting woman walking next to him. Sakura was employing several of her tell-tale nervous tics. She had begun to worry her bottom lip between her teeth, which in itself was sexy as hell, as well as rubbing the back of her neck with the hand that was not working itself in and out of a fist, effectively cracking her knuckles.

He recognized the lip-biting as the nervous habit she used when completely uncomfortable. He had seen that many times, especially since he, himself, had been the causing factor of much of her recent nervousness. The rubbing of the neck was what she did when under pressure dealing with her medic duties. The balling of the fist was a new one, though, and it looked the most dangerous.

Sakura was pulled out of her musings when Kankuro reached behind himself and rummaged in his hip-pack. He pulled out a shiny red apple and tossed it to her.

The girl caught the juicy piece of fruit, and took notice of how hungry she had been. She rolled it around in her hands while flashing a positively sunny smile.

"You have got to tell me where you find these!" She mumbled around the huge bite she had taken.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but it's a secret." He thumped her on the back when she choked at the use of her nickname. When she swallowed, she grumbled a bit before taking another equally huge bite.

"Gaara had an early meeting with the council, and nobody knows how long that could last, so I thought you might have time for a quick bite." Thank God for the face paint because he would have died if she'd have noticed him blushing.

"Umm..Thanks.." Was he blushing? Hard to tell with the purple lines covering his features. She really needed to get him out of that shit, just to see shat he really looked like.

The two took their seats outside of Gaara's office, thanking a rather hesitant Matsuri as she seated them. The poor girl looked like a spooked deer who was just looking for an excuse to flee.

Kankuro took notice of this and thought that it surely had something to do with Gaara's recent attitude toward her. He had taken to giving her brutal amounts of work, which kept her in the office and away from nearly anyone else. And it seemed that the red-head would bark at her for the tiniest of mishap. Fleetingly he wished Temari would come home to deal with the ball of frustration that was known as Gaara.

Sakura had also taken notice of Matsuri, and wondered if it were her own actions in trying to set the girl up with her crush that was causing the girl's fatigue. Sakura had made it a point to drag the girl out shopping several times in the recent week, forcing the girl to buy a new dress each time. Of course, she had been forced into her own purchases in order to appease the younger kunoichi, but it was all for the sake of love, right? Besides, Sakura had been hoping to make her own hook-up in the process. Damned political functions were severely cramping her style.

"So...Kankuro, tell me about your brother.." He looked closely at her as if not believing his ears. Sakura blushed at his scrutiny and hurried on to finish her sentence. "I mean, has he really changed that much?"

The puppet-nin was aghast. So Sakura was interested in someone, and it just so happened to be Gaara. Damn.

"Well, he has changed a lot. He actually works hard to be the best leader possible..." he began slowly, not really sure what kind of information the girl wanted. She turned eyes that sparked with curiosity on him. His heart nearly stopped.

"I know that. I mean, what kind of person is he? What does he like to do...personally..." Her cheeks flushed even more. Matsuri had better appreciate this.

Kankuro could feel his heart pound. She really did like Gaara? Damn, again.

"Well, he still doesn't sleep, so he sits up all hours of the night watching over the village. Sometimes he sits on the roof of the tower for endless hours. Other than that, I don't really know. He's still just so closed off. Maybe you should ask Matsuri, she spends way more time with him than I ever have." Sakura noticed the bitter tone that had krept into her escort's voice and wondered if it had to do with Matsuri. He didn't like her, did he? Oh, poor Kankuro, he definitely wasn't going to like it if she managed to get the Kazekage and his assistant together. Maybe she could find a girl for the puppet-master.

_Hold on, Matchmaker, we can only do one couple at a time. And don't forget, we need a man, too._

_Actually, finding my own man is not really a priority right now. _Sakura surprised herself with that thought.

_You can't really mean that? _At her internal nod, Inner-Sakura clinched her fist._ God, this trip is going to suck._

Just then, Matsuri opened the double doors that led into Gaara's office. She bowed formally to the council-members as they exited. The men ignored Kankuro and only nodded to Sakura. She briefly wondered at the lack of respect for the Kazekage's brother compared to the almost-respect for a foreign shinobi, but soon forgot all of that when she was bustled into the office for her own meeting.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the cocky grin and wave from Kankuro as he pulled another huge apple from his hip-pack. Before being pushed into Gaara's office-proper, she thought that she really needed to find out where he got those glorious fruit.

**_An Hour later_**

A slightly stiff and exhausted Sakura was shown out of the office by a still-subdued Matsuri. She turned to say good-bye to the dark-haired girl but was met with the door as it closed behind her.

She shook herself, thinking that gesture was a bit rude, but decided it was time to make an appearance at the hospital. Surely, Seido had been able to rein in all of the idiotic civilian physicians, and maybe she wouldn't walk into too much of a disaster.

A tired sigh seeped from her form when she took in the fact that Kankuro was sitting in his same chair, cocky smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, looks like you two didn't kill each other..." She rolled her shoulders and turned to leave the building. She really didn't have the energy to deal with an excitable pervert right now.

Kankuro hurried to stand and walked alongside the girl. That's when he noticed that she was carrying herself with a slump and seemed to radiate tiredness. He placed a hand lightly on her arm to get her to stop.

"Sakura, are you okay?" The look in his eyes was genuine worry, and the girl felt a twinge of guilt for giving him the cold shoulder.

"I'm fine. I just never realize how exhausting planning out budgets and all that administrative crap could be. Plus, he told me that he gets daily complaints about my work ethic from the hospital staff." She turned again to head to work.

"Oh really, so the old fogeys at the hospital don't like being bossed around by someone half their ages..." Was that a spark of discontent in the puppet-nin. "Well, they should be honored that you would take time out of your life to come here and teach them how to do their jobs."

At this little outburst, Sakura stopped. When he realized that she had stopped walking, Kankuro turned to find her staring at him, open-mouthed gape in full bloom.

"What?" He walked up to her and gave her a scrutinous once-ever that surely meant that he worried about her health. She shook her head and her body as if clearing her thoughts.

"Do you really believe that?" Kankuro looked at her for a long moment before reaching out and taking one of her hands in his. Her tiny little hand fit perfectly in his palm, and he wondered how those two hands would look with their fingers twined as the two walked down the street together. He looked at her, face a picture of complete seriousness.

"Those losers were the medical _experts _who could not figure out how to save me from Sasori's poison. But, you did." He pulled her hand to his lips and, in a move that shocked them both, kissed her fingertips. Sakura stared at the point of contact as if mesmerized. "I am indebted to you for saving me, and if it means putting a bunch of old bastard civilians in their place, then..."

She cut him off by pulling her hand away from his grip, which had tightened almost painfully. She took one of his hands in hers.

"You don't owe me anything, Kankuro, but I could use some help in bringing those idiots down a notch." An evil grin graced her features, and Kankuro felt himself tremble at the sight. "Your brother gave me the go-ahead to hire new doctors as I see fit." Her smile grew into pure Cheshire deviance as the two turned toward the hospital. She outlined the plan that was forming in her mind.

Kankuro couldn't help but think that those stupid doctors had no idea what storm they had unleashed, and he was glad he wasn't going to be on the receiving end of the petite beauty's wrath.


	9. Misconception

**A/N: Finally, an update!! I hope this chapter is up to standard, and I just know the suspense is getting a little thick. What's going to happen? Even I don't know yet!! EEEEK!! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing!!**

**Alas, Thy doth not owneth Naruto...stillith.**

Pulling Strings

Misconception

When Sakura and Kankuro entered the main lobby of the hospital, they were so deep in cahoots that neither noticed the shocked, and slightly jealous, looks that were being tossed toward them. Next to Gaara, Kankuro was the most eligible bachelor in Suna, and he had constantly professed himself to be a casual, one-night-stand kind of guy. Which meant that any girl or woman who was searching for something permanent needed to stay away. However, it had not gone unnoticed by the villagers that their resident playboy had been spending quite a lot of time in the presence of the scary pink-haired foreigner.

Seeing the Great Master of Puppets completely enrapt in the woman's words, as they walked by completely oblivious to the world had many of the citizens worrying. Surely, their Kankuro-sama was not serious about the little pink kunoichi who could curdle milk with her seething anger? How would that work? Her short temper, his inescapable aloofness...

Not really paying attention to their surroundings, not exactly a good quality for elite ninja, the two wound their way through the hospital corridors until they reached Sakura's office. They had not come up with a feasible plan of action and were in the midst of arguing out some of the half-cocked plans they did had. Seido gave a huge sigh of relief upon seeing his boss.

"Seido-san, did you miss me?" She asked, eyes sparkling with mischief. The blond ninja took a step back and thought that she looked awfully dangerous at that moment. He didn't know if he wanted to give her his news or not. After looking from the rosette to the brunette and seeing that both looked positively conniving, he blessed the two with an ambitious grin. Perhaps he would enjoy watching her wrath as it unfolded on others.

"Actually, ma'am, I was anticipating your return." He paused as the girl looked over the large stack of files that counted as patients waiting to be seen. There were too many for such a time in the morning.

"Seido-san, why are there so many patients who still need to be examined?"

"Well. it seems that all of the civilian physicians took your absence as an excuse to...ummm..." Sakura raised a brow as she awaited what was more important than patient care. "They are in the conference room, discussing how to deal with...you."

The charts fluttered to the floor in a massive heap as pink hair flurried in her wake. Kankuro nearly tripped over his own feet when she gripped his wrist and tugged him after her. Seido watched with an unearthly smirk, not feeling one bit ashamed of ratting out his colleagues. After all, Sakura was the best thing to happen to this place, and he was going to make sure that the girl succeeded.

"Sakura-chan, wait, leggo of my arm," Kankuro whined as he was hauled bodily into Sakura's office. She release her death-grip and began pacing the room. Well, as much as she could in the broom-closet of a room that she had been allotted. Kankuro winced and rubbed his affronted appendage, wondering at the girl's lack of response to his endearment.

Suddenly, Sakura stopped walking, hair falling into place down her back. She reached up and swiped a stray strand from her forehead.

"That's it!" The shout disturbed the puppet-nin, but he was able to rein in his jittery nerves enough not to show that he had been startled. He looked at her for an explanation. Sakura leveled a cool gaze in his direction. This look alone was enough to frighten the hell out of the world's strongest men, and it had her escort shivering slightly. Except, oddly, he wasn't afraid of her. Was he cold?

"I know exactly how to take care of those old coots, and you'll get to do what you're the best at..." Kankuro cocked a brow and ogled her appreciatively. This actually elicited a chuckle from the girl. Then, as quick as the smile was there, it was gone and replaced with that Cheshire grin. "Intimidation."

About twenty minutes later, Kankuro found himself leaned against the wall in the hospital's main conference room. For being the 'main' room for conferring, it was rather small, with one long table surrounded by less than ten chairs. There were no other decorations or furniture. Drab, could be the only word used in its description.

The man stood against the wall, one hand in pocket, one hand steadying the scroll that he had unslung from its normal resting place on his back. That one scroll held his most prized possession as well as his main weapon: Karas, the battle-puppet. The picture of Kankuro seemingly at rest against the wall with his usual lopsided smirk was doing to the doctors exactly what it was supposed to. They were scared shitless.

These civilians weren't stupid, well not completely. They may not appreciate the usefullness of a high class medical ninja, but they _did _acknowledge the strength of their own village's more powerful shinobi. They were not about to be too unruly when it came to facing off against one of the infamous Sand Siblings. All but one, that is.

When the two had entered the room, Taiko had huffed about her insolence in disturbing a meeting of properly trained medical professionals. The girl's smile blazed as she did not answer him and continued laying the files that she had brought in front of the doctors. The men looked at the documents and tossed questioning glances her way. Some had even given Kankuro, himself, a few looks, as if he could explain what was going on in the girl's head.

"What do you think you're playing at, girl?" Came Taiko's nasally voice, finally breaking the foreboding silence that had taken over the room. Sakura glanced at her escort over her shoulder with a wink. His lopsided smirk grew as he settled in to play his role.

The girl gestured widely with her hands toward the folders that were strewn across the conference table.

"If you gentlemen will take a moment to look over the files that I have lain before you, you will notice that these are not the medical charts of patients," here she paused for effect while a few of the men ruffled through the papers. She then leaned over the table, hands resting shoulder-width apart, so that she could effectively glare across the table. This move also effectively hiked her medic skirt up a bit, while tightening the material across her bottom. Kankuro nearly had to bite his lip to stay focused when faced with such a tantalizing view.

Sakura continued, voice as tight as a steel trap, "I want you all to inspect these files closely, because you will be using them to choose your own replacements." The sentence was spoken so coolly and matter-of-factly that it took a moment for the scoffing and spluttering to begin. Once that had started, Sakura raised her hand for silence. Not getting that, she spoke above the din.

"I have the full support of the Kazekage, and Kankuro-_sama _is here as a representative of his brother's office." The puppeteer cringed at her used of the suffix that allotted him any sort of position but steeled himself enough to nod in response to the girl. That was when he pulled the scroll from his back and settle against the wall, tossing glares toward the other men.

Sakura waited a moment for the shock to set in. They would not have expected her to make a move like this, let alone have the top ninja's support. It took everything she had not to smile in their faces, but it was not polite to gloat in front of such colossal losers, so she held back. However, she was not above a little preening, so she stood admiring her nails with a haughty grin while she waited the doctors to calm down.

They never did.

She lost her temper.

Go figure.

"Fine, if you guys are going to be such jerks about this..." Sakura slammed her fists onto the table, nearly cracking it in two, "You can sit in here and rot. No one leaves this room until you have decided on who will be filling your positions." After her initial bout of insane anger, she tried to compose herself, and her last words were hissed through clenched teeth.

As the civilians looked on in utter shock, and before they could return to their indignant selves, Sakura turned and left. Kankuro hoisted his summoning scroll and followed. When the two were standing in the corridor, Sakura pulled the door shut tightly, and her escort's eyes widened sharply when he heard the distinct sound of the doorknob being crush into uselessness.

He quarked a brow at her, arms crossed over himself. He would not dare ask her reasons right now, she was that volatile. She merely looked back, all wide-eyed and innocence.

"What?"

He looked meaningfully at the now-crushed doorknob.

"Well, they won't be going anywhere for a while, right?" And with that, she was her normal chipper self and turned toward Seido who was smiling with self-satisfaction. "Oh, and since, my doctors are out of commission...I'll need your help today, Kankuro-_sama_."

Ho, now that was just downright nasty, but he wouldn't let this woman cow him. Not by a long-shot.

"Anything for you, Sakura-_chan_."

A few hours later, Sakura was utterly pissed. Those stupid doctors were still fighting her demands, but she had them right where she wanted them. They couldn't escape, and soon they would want to eat. It was only a matter of time, so that problem wasn't what was really bothering her.

Kankuro had completely disappeared.

He had promised to help her with the civilian doctors, and that meant helping with patients while the doctors were, ahem, out of commission.

_You do realize that that is not what he meant, right? _Asked her inner self. Sakura was too annoyed to deal with her own psychosis right now.

_Yes, I know, but he did offer to help in any way necessary. And I need help._

_Are you sure this has nothing to do with having His Royal Hotness within ogling distance? _Sakura actually stopped walking, errr...stomping down the hall in order to grace her inner self with a full on death-glare.

_I do not ogle him. I have no idea what he looks like for Christ's sake!!_

_Still doesn't stop you from getting an eyeful whenever you can. Come on, why don't you find a way to get him out of his gear, so that we can get a right good look at him? _It was not a good sign when her inner personality whined at her.

"I do not have time for this." The medic spoke out loud, eliciting a disturbed look from another medic who was walking by. Trying to cover up her blush, the girl took off at a faster pace, ready to take her anger out on a currently missing puppet-nin. That's when she heard the giggle.

After the giggle came a deep rumble of a whisper. Goosebumps stood on her arms as she realized just who had voiced the intimate-sounding sweet-nothing. She replaced the sudden curiosity of what it would feel like to have that husky voice making promises into her ear, with pure ire as she resumed stomping into the nurse's lounge.

The door banged open and they were caught. The nurse, a cute little red-head, was obviously new and had not heard of her boss's loathing toward shirking duties. The girl, who was at least three years older than Sakura, and therefore, not a girl at all, stammered her excuses, while trying to extract herself from the man's clutches. All while blushing so bright that her face matched her hair.

"If you leave now, and get back to your duties, I'll let you keep your job. Just don't let me see you anywhere near this break-room again today." Sakura's voice was frosty and the nurse was sure that the air in the room had frozen.

Soon, though, the ice melted as Sakura turned a burning stare toward the brunette.

"What?" He feigned nonchalance pretty well for being pinned with a look that should have melted his flesh.

"She's on duty."

"Yeah, well, actually, she was on break, and we were just talking." He looked up sharply at her scoff. "What's it matter anyway?"

"You were supposed to be helping me." Sakura looked down and bit her lip as if she were..nervous?

Kankuro regarded the woman before him for a moment. The lip-biting was what Sakura did when she had lost confidence in herself. He had only seen it briefly, and it was usually in the face of numerous marriage proposals from prominent clans within Suna. It had never been directed at him before.

The look in her eye also spoke volumes. She looked lost, like finding him with the nurse had hurt her somehow. Why would Sakura be bothered if he was trying to score? Yeah, he had done it while they were on duty, but surely that wouldn't cause this look of pain?

Then a thought struck him. He immediately shook it away. She had been asking about Gaara so much of late. Surely he was the one she was interested in, right?

Before Kankuro even realized he had done it, and before Sakura had even had a chance to react, he had risen from his chair and closed the gap between them. Again, he took her hands in his, but he clasped them at her side. She mused slightly about how fast he could move with all that gear on, then he kissed her.

Green eyes widened in shock as she had barely a moment to register what was happening.

Kankuro was kissing her. Her inner self was running around squealing in delight, waving little flags and spinning noise-makers.

She closed her eyes and leaned in to the broad chest that was so close. His lips were divine, and she knew he had much practice at this type of thing. She returned the kiss whole-heartedly, well as well as she could, considering that he was restraining her hands. She _needed_ this. It had been so long since she had felt a man's touch, or at least one that wasn't drunken and fumbling.

And for a minute she had forgotten that he had only a moment ago been propositioning one of her nurses.

The memory flared, and so did her anger.

Kankuro looked up from the pile of loose boards that had been the break-room table as he watched Sakura flee from his touch.

So, she really wasn't interested in him.

Sakura flew to her office, but she was stopped by Seido who had news that the doctors were ready to give her their choices. She told him she would be down in a minute, but needed something from her office.

"Umm...Sakura-san?" She looked at him from over her shoulder. "You have a smudge on your cheek. You may want to wash your face before you meet with them." Sakura nodded as she pushed into her office.

She leaned against the door, catching her breath.

What the hell had just happened?

She shook herself sharply trying to calm herself. After this, she would need to go to the practice fields and work off some of her anger with her fists. Only then could she think properly. But first, she needed to deal with the doctors.

Sighing, she made her way to the mirror and sink that stood in the corner of her small office. She looked in the reflective surface to see the smudge that Seido had spoken of. It was purple; as in _his_ purple face paint. It must have rubbed off when he kissed her.

All of the anger and turmoil which was her response to that one act of insensitivity on his part came crashing down as she gripped the sink tightly to keep from falling. The porcelain cracked audibly, and Sakura sank to the floor.

And there she cried, body wracked with silent sobs, and all of her pain from the events of the past few weeks tore out of her.


	10. Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Gourd?

**A/N: Ah-ha! A new chapter is upon you. What will you do now? Well, read it of course! A little intrigue to fill the dullness of the day. Enjoy!**

**Nope, still not mine.**

Puling Strings

Speak Softly, and Carry a Big Gourd?

**Two Weeks Later**

Sakura found herself sitting in her office, legs kicked up on her desk, just randomly staring off into space. It wasn't very often that one could find the Fifth Hokage's former student shirking her duties. That was one characteristic that had been ingrained from the beginning of her ninja training. With Kakashi and Team 7, they all had to pull their weight. With Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune had been forced to pull their weight as well as the brunt of the shishou's. But the past two weeks had definitely taken their toll, and the young medic just needed a break.

It had been two weeks since that hell's wreck of a day where she had piled her plate to brimming at work, while getting her heart stomped on. That day she had, in one wide sweep, fired all of the senior hospital staff. This had led to the necessity of extremely long shifts by herself and the other medical ninja, but that would end once the new staff began arriving. It was only a matter of days. A light at the end of the tunnel.

Letting an exhausted sigh escape her, the girl refocused her lax gaze and looked around her office. She really did need a bigger one; perhaps she could take Takei's... The evil smirk which had found its way across her lips foundered once she settled her restless sight on the sink in the corner of the room. The bowl was cracked so badly that it leaked whenever in use.

She had done that after _he_ had kissed her. She couldn't bring herself to think his name for fear that it would bring about those terrible emotions.

And that was it. It wasn't really a problem that Kankuro had kissed her, not even really that he had done so on the heels of hitting on one of her nurses. Really, the pink-haired one didn't know at all why that kiss had caused her so much pain, grief, or sadness. She wasn't even really mad at the fact that he had done so uninvited.

Thus, another dilemma. She had realized in the weeks since their...confrontation... that Kankuro had been one of the few people that she had allowed to touch her without express permission. Whether it be a touch to the shoulder, or a ruffle of her pink locks, it had never really bothered her that the man had been in her personal bubble.

And deep down, that was the heart of the problem. She had never allowed a man to get that close...not since...Sasuke.

Yeah, there was Kakashi who always ruffled her hair or pinched her teasingly. And, there was Naruto who always greeted his female teammate with a bone-cracking hug. But they didn't count because she had been with them for so long. They were part of her childhood and would always be afforded that kind of closeness. So, why, then did she allow the middle Sand Sibling to get so close?

Then, she had thought about her closeness to both Ino and Tamari. She shared hugs and light embraces with both women easily. And what about her relationship with Kiba? Okay, so that ended abruptly because he wanted to be in her bubble all of the time, and she had to get out or explode.

So, was it just men that she feared getting close to?

This thought startled the girl, and she blinked as she looked around the room. It was as if she had just spoken that ridiculous thought out loud and was afraid someone had heard. Then she thought to herself with a shiver, that was exactly the problem.

Not since Sasuke had she dared to try to allow anyone to get close. Now Kankuro seemed interested, and she was...scared.

Well, he had seemed interested for about five seconds. That was until she had sent him sprawling into the break-room table while she fled to cry in her office.

It didn't help matters either that, upon pink-slipping her entire medical team, she had run to the Kazekage and begged for a new escort. Gaara had not questioned her at all, which was odd, but she hadn't thought to ask about his leniency until the next day. When Matsuri had knocked on Sakura's door promptly at seven that morning, the elder kunoichi had just known that something was up. Matsuri confirmed this when she said that Kankuro had beaten Sakura to the punch by asking to be reassigned. Gaara had decided not to grant that request until he saw the emotion in Sakura when she pleaded for anyone other than Kankuro.

That was when Matsuri had turned a worried eye toward her ward and ask what had happened.

Sakura's reply was that she just couldn't stand the idiot anymore, and she just needed to get away from him before she killed him and caused an international incident.

She knew that Matsuri didn't buy the excuse, but, thankfully, the girl had not inquired further.

Sakura found herself sighing again. Seriously, if she was going to sit and think about this crap all day, she may as well get back to work. But something in the back of her brain just kept niggling about her reaction to Kankuro's kiss.

_Didn't I decide that it's because I'm afraid to let anyone get close?_ She asked her inner self, for once engaging in her insane internal discussions.

_Yup... But you and I both know that that isn't all._

_So, what's the deal then? What else is there?_ She didn't really like that her own mind knew something and wasn't letting her in on it.

_Just think about it, dummy... Fine. You liked it, and you feel like you're betraying Sasuke._

_No I don't. I'm over Sasuke. Have been for a while._

_Really... So why the fear to get close? You even blame your inability to forgive Kakashi on the fact that he's a sexist pig who only wants to teach boys. You know that's complete bullshit. So, just come out and say it, and then you can take steps toward getting over him._

"I'm not over Sasuke?" Sakura's hand flew to her lips. She knew it was the truth. Well, only half-truth. Actually, she had been over her love for the traitor for some time. So it wasn't Sasuke that she pined for. So what was it about the Uchiha that had tainted her heart so badly?

Realization struck quick and unforgiving.

His betrayal.

At that thought, Sakura fled her office. She needed air, or she would stop breathing altogether and suffocate. With a rushed apology to her remaining staff, the medic flew out of the hospital and toward the only open place she knew. She really did need to train anyways, so why not work off some steam at the practice fields?

Within minutes, the Leaf kunoichi had found an empty field and shucked her medic jacket. Donning her chakra gloves, she stretched for a few minutes while trying to wrangle her frantic thoughts. After a few minutes of trying to center herself for optimal chakra control, Sakura realized there was no way she could control her emotions.

So she punched a hole in the ground. Her chakra flared green and bright before she was able to bring it to some level of control.

Steeling herself for another burst, Sakura threw her fist into the sand once more, tossing up chunks of hardened earth.

After a few more erratic blows, the green pulse pulled itself back into tightly controlled halos around gloved fists. Finally, she had brought her chakra into order. Never had she been so unable to control herself, and it was actually pretty scary knowing that her emotions had gotten to that point of instability.

Breathing heavily with concentration and moving into her usual training routine, Sakura took a moment to think on her new findings.

So, it was Sasuke's betrayal of the village that made her afraid of men. No, that wasn't right. She shook her head and moved into another series of movements. Her thoughts seemed to clear as her routine became more advanced.

It took a few tries, but the pinkette was finally able to latch onto the thought that had been swirling in her brain for the better part of the day. It wasn't his betrayal of the village, it was his betrayal to her. Duh! But not only was it that he had left her unconscious on that bench after her confession of love, it was also that he had left what they had become. Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Haruno: Team 7. They had been the only team that Kakashi would teach, and he had taught them all to his abilities in their general capacities.

Well, maybe not her, the bitter thought still lingered, considering that she still had no justus to call her own. But that was beside the point. The fact was that they had been a _team_, and they had relied on one another in their lightest and darkest times. And Sasuke had shit on that.

Even Sakura had to admit that her feelings were pretty jacked up. Why would she make it a point to keep men at arm's length just because some spoiled little brat had to leave because he couldn't get his way otherwise? No answer to that question, but it was the truth.

Still, she didn't know just how far she wanted to test this new found concept with Kankuro. A playboy will always be just that, right?

Speaking of the onesie-clad idiot, Sakura thought about how little she had actually seen of the guy in the past two weeks. After securing that Matsuri would be her escort indefinitely, Sakura had found that she actually kind of missed their early morning half-spars. And then there were the apples. She had ventured to ask Matsuri about where he had gotten those glorious fruit, and the dark-haired girl had only smiled a knowing grin and shook her head. She claimed she didn't know, but Sakura was onto the other girl. She wasn't a ninja for no reason, you know.

Thankfully, the nobility had seemed to get over the shiny, new Sakura-blossom rather quickly, and so she had not been forced to endure too many social instances. Of course there were those who were still vying for the good graces of the Kazekage, as well as those who wanted the prize of Sakura's hand, so she had been forced to attend a few parties. And Kankuro had been at all of these, and always with one or two pretty little things attached to him, in grand playboy style.

She was not jealous. But she did fume. And Matsuri noticed. So poor Matsuri would try to gain attention for she and the woman she escorted by way of adoring male nobility. This in turn would anger a certain red-head, for whatever reason very few could actually discern, save for Sakura. Sakura would then have to separate Gaara and his apprentice as he began to reprimand her on her unbecoming actions, which, in turn, would end the evening with Kankuro having to force an angry Gaara home, while Sakura would see to a sobbing Matsuri. Each time, the Leaf girl would smile cynically at the fact that Kankuro repeatedly had to end his night early, and without female companionship. Of course, she would go to bed alone, as well.

It was all very tiring. So wasn't training after weeks of none. Time to stop before her muscles gave. So, Sakura stretched smoothly before removing her gloves and replacing them in her hip pouch. And, whistling happily, she headed to her room in the Kazekage's tower for a much needed shower.

She never noticed two pairs of eyes watching her as she skipped away. Deep brown and full of adoration and longing. Red and angry and full of hatred. The owner of the first sighed and tried to plot his way back into her life, while the latter turned to find his comrades and plot their way to take her life.

Hours later, deep green eyes flitted open, then closed as she tossed across the bed for the umpteenth time. You'd think that after nearly a month, she'd get used to the bed. This place was so irritating. The room was too cold, the blankets too warm, and the bed too soft. And night after night found Haruno Sakura unable to sleep comfortably in the village of Suna.

"Oh, screw it," she finally decided to get up and put her sleepless night to some good use by double checking her paperwork for the next day. One of the new doctors would be arriving in the morning, and she needed to be on top of her game. That was why she had called it an early night, hoping to actually sleep. But her body would have none of that.

After reading through the file three times, the medic decided that she was as ready as she would ever be. But, she also knew that there would still be no sleep for her. Fine, perhaps she could get in a little exploring. She had been in Suna for the better part of the month and still knew so little about the village. So why not start her learning expedition in the building she would call home for, she feared, and undefined amount of time?

Thus, Sakura found herself wandering up a flight of stairs that she had not seen before. Promising herself that she was way too smart to get lost in a _building_, the girl continued to the top level of the staircase. The landing was not lit and had only one door. The air was very cool, and a push at the door confirmed that she had found the roof of the Kazekage's tower. The sight that she found was absolutely breathtaking.

She wandered to the edge of the roof which was surrounded with a high ledge, probably solely for the purpose of keeping roaming idiots like herself from falling off of the million-story building. Good thing too, because she walked without a glance to where her feet went. Forest green eyes were riveted to the sky where the stars shone with a brightness that Sakura could not remember ever seeing in Konoha. There was not a cloud in the sky which had a dark inkiness that could have been scary. Could have been, but wasn't due to the sparkling belt of the Milky Way that spanned across the blackness.

The stars, however, were only a sad appetizer that came before the true beauty of the night. Sakura found herself wondering if this were the same sky that fell across Konoha at night, and she looked to the moon and realized that there was no way. The moon in all of its full glory shone incadescently over her head like the God of Night that it was. There was no eerie yellowish glow that came with the full moon in her homeland. No, this moon was giant and beautiful.

A few feet to her left, she heard the sound of stirring. She unlocked her gaze and looked to her side to see what she had obviously not noticed while under the moon's trance.

"Gaara? What are you doing out here?" It was then that the girl remembered that she was outside, in desert night, in late fall. Her teeth chattered with both surprise at her unlikely company, as well as the chill carried in the breeze.

"I don't sleep much, so I often come up here when my office feels too confined." Gaara's smooth voice found its way to his unlikely visitor. He started at his own words. Why did he speak so candidly to the girl? Surely, it was odd to speak this way to anyone he knew, especially to Sakura who was not his close kin or even friend.

He remembered her fear and anger when they had fought in the forests of Fire Country. Then he remembered her frantic cries over Chiyo's body and her sobs at his renewal of life. He also remembered her ministrations after they had returned to Suna while they waited for Kakashi to stabilize enough to make their way back home. By that time, there was no longer fear and anger, only the doting eyes of a medic at work. Finally, he remembered her intensity when dealing with medical matters and her harsh words for those who did not take her seriously. Sakura was definitely an enigma with her whirlwind of emotions, but Gaara knew that he was connected to her. Much like he was connected to Naruto, the connection of friendship and the endurance of hard times together. That was why he could confide in her.

That and the fact that he knew she could be very persuasive when necessary.

Insane strength always worked in her favor.

"Would you like to join me, Haruno-san?" Gaara heard himself say. He waited for her to respond that she needed to get back to bed or some such. Her answer confused him.

Sakura nodded and sat beside the Kazekage while returning her gaze to the moon.

"It's beautiful up here. I can see why you come up here. I don't think I've ever seen the moon look so big, well not in Konoha anyway."

"When it's full, it always looks like that up here," were his words. After that, the two sat in silence for a long while, just enjoying the moon and stars.

Eventually Sakura stirred and stretched hugely. Her yawn spoke volumes as to how tired she must be. The pinkish glow across the distant horizon gave hint that dawn was not far off. The girl really should head to bed for at least a little sleep before she was inundated with new staff at the hospital.

As she turned her head to let her silent companion know that she would be returning to bed, and that he should probably try to rest as well, Sakura noticed the hard lines in the Kazekage's face and neck. He sat stiffly as if his back were made of the strongest stone. Medic mode slipped in before she knew it, and she was channeling chakra into her hands.

"Gaara...this is going to feel a little weird," was the only warning that she gave him before she reached out and poured healing chakra into his shoulders and neck. The guy was so tense that she wondered why she had never noticed. No wonder this man couldn't sleep, even now that the threat of his personality being stolen by a crazed demon was no longer present. He had become the political leader of his nation at such a young age and on the heels of such traumatic events that the medic worried that he had never had the opportunity to cope with his ordeal. And he did carry that damned gourd full of sand everywhere with him.

"Damned Sand shinobi and your macho shit..." Sakura muttered under her breath while she continued her impromptu massage for a very startled Gaara.

The Kazekage, for his part, had managed to stifle his surprise and urge to call his sand as defense. He had even been able to remove his Sand Armor before Sakura wasted too much of her chakra on an action that he hadn't been able to feel. At first. Now, the sensations of her warm energy, as well as her soft hands kneading at the hardened muscles lulled him into relaxation.

All too soon, Sakura stopped her movements. Gaara opened his eyes and realized that he had been dozing. When she moved away, he grunted to awareness. The medic moved back toward the door and warmth with a wave and a warning.

"You really should get some rest," Her voice flitted across the rooftop with a sound of slight amusement. "Come see me at the hospital, and we'll see about taking care of you properly."

Gaara followed her retreat with eyes blinking groggily. What had she just done to him? He rolled his shoulders experimentally, and found that his muscles no longer held their constant dull ache. He made a mental note to schedule a meeting with the med-nin so that she could fulfill her promise. But he would not go to the hospital and risk anyone else seeing him in such a moment of weakness. He would have her come to his office to do it. Then, he may be able to relax and rest.

Ah, it would be so nice to sleep.


	11. Fighting and Falling

**A/N: Yay! A new chapter. Lots of action, and a little something else... Enjoy, please. Thanks to all who read and review. You are the reason for my writing, so as long as you read, I'll write!!**

**These characters aren't mine.**

Pulling Strings

Fighting and Falling

**That Same Evening**

Sakura hummed lightly as she made her way back to her room. It was kind of odd, well actually _more _than kind of, that she had just had a bonding moment with Gaara. No, he no longer held her fear in his hands, but he was still formidable. And if she allowed herself to think too long on the man, she would always remember what he had been when she first met him.

A shudder ran down her spine, and she almost stopped humming. Forcing herself past the gut-wrenching pain and agony he had caused her friends and loved ones, Sakura was able to find the light that had changed the monstrous boy into the almost-caring man that he had become. Naruto. That blond blockhead had a knack for breaking down barriers and making friends with the most unlikely of people.

Thus Haruno Sakura found herself openly flirting with one of the scariest people she had ever met. A wry laugh made its way past her lips. How ironic was that?

What disturbed her the most was that she had left her offer of a massage open to mean anything. Of course, Gaara was still pretty clueless when it came to women, so he had more than likely taken it at face value. Which worked out for the girl in the long run. Seriously, if she was going to get Gaara and Matsuri to realize how they felt about one another, she couldn't be getting in the middle of it.

_And besides, you've got your sights set on the better built of the brothers._

That elicited a groan from her. She did not want to think about her fucked up feelings toward the elder brother right now.

The guards who were posted in the corridor that held the Head family's as well as their guests' sleeping quarters, gave the young woman a questioning look at her pained groan. She waved them off, completely irritated with herself. Finally, she had made it to her room, and she was hoping to get some much-needed rest.

As Sakura entered her room, she didn't bother turning on the light and fumbled her way through while removing most of her clothing. The room wasn't completely dark, due to the brightness of the full moon as it filtered through the blinds on the room's only window.

The light didn't penetrate the farthest corners of the room, where predatory red eyes watched the kunoichi's every move.

The man nearly laughed to himself. Some kunoichi indeed; she had no idea that he was there.

He watched her strip off most of her clothing, and his eyes followed her movements with a hunger that bordered on starvation. Too bad he had to kill her; that body held the promise of much pleasure.

His burning gaze landed on the pale pink hair that appeared as white as his own under the light of the moon. Her emerald eyes were incandescent in the near-light, and her skin, not-so-pale since spending more and more time in the desert, was nearly transparent.

As she slipped her top from her shoulders and allowed it to pool on the floor, he had to swallow a sigh. The bandages that she bound herself so tightly with obviously hid her curves. And the sharp dip that created her waist contrasted severely with her overall subtle shape. The girl was petite by all definitions, but she was also delicate in the way that her hips curved into well-defined thighs and legs that a lowly Leaf kunoichi certainly did not deserve.

The man took a moment after her disappearance into the bathroom to steel himself. He had a task to perform, and he could not let his mind be clouded with lust for this unlikely specimen. He'd had no idea that Konoha cultivated such beauty!

Slowly, the door opened, and he prepared himself for the attack.

Instead of lovely pink hair and bright green eyes, he was met with a series of shuriken as they whizzed through the room and toward his head. He was quick enough to dodge away, but he had given Sakura the split-second that she needed to attack.

She flew from the darkness of the bathroom with every attempt of bowling the man over so that she could use her strength to flatten him to the floor. It almost worked, but he was just a second faster than she.

Her attack went just a little wide as the man with the white hair and disturbing red eyes whipped around and pulled Sakura's arm behind her back.

However, before the girl could think to react, the world shattered.

Well, at least, the window did.

A body came hurling through. Shockingly long red hair flew in all directions. Not just the normal orange hair that is called red; this was like blood. Just like the eyes of her own attacker.

The newcomer's body fell limply to the ground, but within seconds she was fighting to stand. And failing. It was as if an unknown force had taken control of her movements, and she could not control her flailing limbs. The thrashing of the woman who was obviously his partner caused Sakura's attacker to falter for a second, and Sakura took her chance to gain the upper hand.

Sakura wrenched herself from his grip, and he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of the back of her ankle to his temple. He saw stars, then blackness.

Sakura jumped on her attacker and secured his limbs before frantically looking around for something to tie him up with. That was when she, once again, took notice of the woman who had been thrown into her room. Her gaze moved to the woman's means of entrance into the room.

Sitting on the ledge of the window with his hand held awkwardly in the air was a smirking Kankuro.

"So, Sakura-chan, didn't know you were expecting company."

Realizing the man beneath her was not going to be escaping anytime soon, the pink-haired kunoichi stood and dusted her hands, as if disgusted with the whole ordeal.

"Yeah, would have been nice if they'd have let me in on the visit. I could have been better prepared."

She glanced at the dark-haired shinobi sitting in her window and nearly gasped at the sight.

He was without his Banraku makeup, and looked rather rumpled from having been asleep. Again, she was reminded of Kiba, but that was fleeting. Kankuro actually only resembled the dog-nin by way of build, well there was the super-cocky attitude, too, but otherwise, he actually resembled Gaara. His brown hair glistened with a light reddish tint under the full moon, and she realized that his skin was only darker than Gaara's because he was so tan. When Gaara was cooped up inside doing paperwork and whatnot, Kankuro was outside working in the elements.

However, the puppet-nin had a charisma that was all his own, what with that cocky grin that only seemed to get bigger, to the slightly haunted look in his eyes that pointed toward serious emotional depths that he wanted no one to know about.

Then, there was his body. He was tall, and thickly built. Of course, this was from having to carry the weight of those damnable puppets for so long, but he wasn't bulky by any means. And sitting in her window in a t-shirt and flannel pants, he looked every bit the powerful man that he was.

Sakura shuddered.

"Damn it. Why'd you have to break my window? Now, I'm gonna freeze to death at night..." Her whine brought the situation back to startling clarity.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep you warm, huh?" His smirk grew at the thought that Sakura had just been blatantly ogling him.

A moan from the floor brought the two to their senses. They were standing in the middle of a battlefield, with enemy shinobi who needed to be questioned.

Sakura threw open her door and bellowed to the guards that they needed to get in there right now. Kankuro winced at the volume and took over for the girl who had just seemed to realize what had been attempted.

"You," he pointed with his free hand to one of the men, "go wake Baki and tell him to assemble the jounin. Be discreet. If these two have friends, we don't want to advertise that we're on to them yet." The man saluted and left. Kankuro turned his attention to the other guard. "Take these two to the prison cells in the basement. I'll get my brother; he'll want to interrogate them personally."

Sakura tossed him a startled look. Didn't Baki usually handle questioning captured enemies? Before she could voice her question, Kankuro answered her.

"You are a friend and guest of the Kazekage's. He'll take an attempt on your life as a direct insult." Nodding her understanding, Sakura looked at the woman who was being bound at the hands and feet. She almost pitied them for having to face Gaara.

"Let's go find him."

"He's probably still up on the roof." Sakura had just been up there, and she was sure that he would have remained until time to begin his work. A weird look flashed over Kankuro's eyes, before he nodded and they headed in the direction of the stairwell that led to the roof.

They didn't make it very far.

Upon passing Gaara's quarters, which no one had thought to look for him in, the door opened slowly. Sakura and Kankuro paused, preparing for another attack. They were shocked to see Gaara in the door-frame, looking sleepy and disheveled.

Gaara had been asleep?!

"Ummm...Gaara? You okay?" Kankuro halted mid-stride to give his brother a weary look.

The red-head just rubbed his eyes, looking very much like a two-year-old just waking from an afternoon nap. Sakura could imagine a smaller version of 'little Gaara' standing in the exact same place, only holding his favorite stuffed animal closely.

The Kazekage removed the sleep from his eyes with a flourish and peered around at the people in the hall. His gaze moved from the two guards who stood behind Sakura and Kankuro, then swept across his brother, and came to rest on the pink-haired woman.

"Haruno, what are you wearing?" His tone was stoney and quiet, but carried all the notations of an ensuing scandal. With a burning blush covering her instantly, Sakura realized what he meant.

She had pretended not to notice the foreign chakra signature that had lain in wait in her room, so she had gone about her normal activities. Thus, she had made the motions of preparing for bed. Now, standing in front of at least four men and having been seen by several more, the girl realized that she wore nothing but a small, lightweight tank top and her underwear. White with little pink bows.

Mortification set in.

Then she heard a snicker from beside her. Kankuro was barely holding himself together.

"You asshole! You noticed before we left my room, and didn't bother to tell me!" The screeching had raised in decibels as Kankuro went from near silent giggles to all-out cackling laughter. He ended up rolling on the ground before Sakura almost put it all to a stop with one well-placed stomp. Before she could get her chakra fully gathered, Gaara's voice filled the hallway.

"If you two don't mind, I would like to know why you are both wearing sleeping clothes and scurrying around my building with jounin guards in tow..." His voice was full of venom, and it took no time for Kankuro to compose himself. Sakura was just about to answer the Kazekage when she felt a small weight on her shoulder. She looked around and saw what looked like a t-shirt draped over her. She hurried to put the garment on, thankful to whomever had found it and listened as Kankuro explained what was going on.

"It's the Twins. Somehow they got inside the city." He stopped speaking and looked expectantly at Gaara, waiting for his reply. Sakura took a chance to look at the man next to her, wondering what he was talking about.

Okay, so _that's _where the t-shirt had come from. Apparently, Kankuro had taken pity on her state of undress and had sacrificed his own comfort by giving up half of his clothing.

The gods definitely hated her. Sure, she had known that the puppet-nin had to have been hiding a decent physique under his gear. The t-shirt and flannel pants had hinted at such. But now, looking at the man in most of his splendor, Sakura realized how gorgeous he actually was. He wasn't just in shape, he was a well-honed fighting machine. Sinewy arms connected to broad and muscled shoulders. His barreled chest was the only bulky part of him, and it fit perfectly over a trim waistline that dipped promisingly into the drawstring of his low-hung pants.

Sakura gulped audibly. She did everything she could to pull her eyes away from the sight, but her blush had blazed hot again, and that damnable smirk grew wider. He tossed her a wink before focusing on his baby brother once more.

"The Twins? You're sure?"

"Yup, Sakura knocked Hiro out and I restrained Yuki myself. I sent a message to Baki so that he could begin the interrogations, but..." Deep brown eyes glinted maliciously, causing Sakura to gulp once again. "I knew you'd want to question them yourself. That's why we were coming to find you."

Gaara nodded and turned on his heel. He seemed to completely have forgotten all else. Sakura tapped Kankuro on the arm.

"Who are the Twins, and why does their presence make such a difference?"

"Well, my little Blossom," he threw his arm over her shoulder and veered them in the direction of her room, "those two were once the best assassins in all of Suna. They are the only of my father's assassins to nearly kill Gaara. Got even closer than our uncle." At this, the man's face darkened ever so slightly. Then he shook himself and gave Sakura a wink. "It seems that someone _really_ wants you dead."

Sakura was appalled. Granted, she had built a decent reputation among shinobi. How could you be a student of the Great Copy Ninja and not? But it still disturbed her to think that someone had paid high level missing ninja to kill her. A shiver curled through her body as the cold hand of fear gripped her.

The heat of Kankuro's body kept her from fully dispairing. A thought occurred to her.

"I don't have any enemies, except the token few that all ninja have, but none who would take such measures toward my death..." Her musing continued as they halted in front of her door. "So, why do you think someone would go to this extreme?"

"Don't know, but we'll find out soon enough." Kankuro looked at the girl who had seemed to shrink within herself. He ran his hands up and down her arms as if to warm her and leaned forward to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. He actually leaned more down than anything, the girl was so much shorter than he was. "Gaara and Baki are masters of their art. They'll find the answer, and then..." He shrugged as if it didn't really matter. "Just know that you're safe while under the Kazekage's protection, so go back to bed."

He stayed by the door long enough to hear it close and lock behind the medic, then turned to the nearest guard.

"I want two men posted on her room at all hours." The jounin saluted and beckoned for another guard to join him. Satisfied with the outcome and content that Sakura would be safe until morning, Kankuro turned toward the stairs that led to the basement.

Anger flashed in dark brown pools that usually only held mirth and sly determination.

He would get to the bottom of this, and then destroy whoever had the nerve to dare threaten _his_ Sakura.


	12. House Arrest

**A/N: Here is another chapter for ya. And beware, I'm afraid that I have been reading a new book series and the writing style has rubbed off into my own. By the way, if interested, the series is by Jacqueline Carey and called Kushiel's Legacy. I definitely recommend them. Now, on with the funness that is Kankuro and Sakura!!**

**These people are not mine...dammit...**

Pulling Strings

House Arrest

A light knocking at Sakura's door brought her out of odd dreams. She blinked a few times before calling out, asking who was there. At Kankuro's tone, she roused anxiously out of bed to see what he needed.

It was still early, too early considering what time she had gone to bed the previous evening. Then, she had been restless with the excitement of her activities. Her bonding moment on the roof with Gaara, being attacked in her room, standing in the hallway half-naked, Kankuro's gentleness toward her as he sent her to bed. Of all of this, she knew she had dreamed. However, the most haunting part of her dream was seeing Gaara come from his room sleepy and disheveled. Had that really happened?

Upon stretching bodily, wincing at the tightness of her muscles, the girl opened her bedroom door. A startled Kankuro blinked owlishly at her.

"Are you okay?" He pushed into the room and looked around, as if searching for a newcomer whose goal it was to take her life.

"Hmmmm...?" Sakura ground at her eye sockets with her fists, and then blinked at the man as if not recognizing him. Why was he here? "What time is it?"

"It's nearly seven, and you're not dressed... Are you sure you're okay?" He looked into her eyes, gauging her well-being. And, go figure, he actually looked worried.

"Oh, yeah, I sent a message to the hospital to let them know that I wanted to rest a bit." Under normal conditions, the medic would not think of leaving off her duties, but she really was tired after too many days of extended hours at work topped of by her fun the previous evening. Besides, Seido was more than capable of running things for the day. The new doctor would just have to wait to meet her. She was just about to tell Kankuro this when another thought hit her. "Why are you here?"

Another owlish blink.

"I thought you didn't want to be my escort anymore, or at least that's what it seemed like when you raced to tell your brother that you wanted to be reassigned." By this point, her temper had flared and she had planted a finger into the man's chest.

Kankuro's anger flashed, just as unhinged and dangerous as her own. He gripped her wrist. Hard.

"Hey, you're the one who ran from me. And besides, I only beat you to Gaara's office because you had to fire your staff. If that had not been necessary, we would have arrived at the same time."

Sakura started as she picked her jaw up of the floor. Was that hurt in Kankuro's voice? Surely he hadn't been that upset when she had fled his kiss? She shook her head. There was absolutely no way that Sabaku no Kankuro was upset over Haruno Sakura. Another head shake. No way.

Said ninja dropped her wrist and turned to leave. He paused to speak, back still toward her.

"I've been reassigned as your escort. Gaara is worried, even more, about your safety and feels that I'm the best person to keep you alive." He took a deep breath but still did not face her. "I just wanted to see that you were okay. Since you're not going to work today, you should stay in your room. A guard will be posted at all times."

He left.

Sakura nearly collapsed as she finally drew a breath. Had he just confined her to her room? So, she had become a prisoner out of necessity to protect her life.

This was not happening. She needed to go to Gaara and discuss this with him. Something was wrong here.

Not even a half-hour later, Sakura made her way to the Kazekage's office. Her door guard had accompanied her, considering that the office was only one floor below where her quarters lay. He had emphatically demanded to be her escort, and she had just as emphatically declined. That is, until the very tall sinister-looking shadow-user had threatened to use his ninjutsu. And, yes he did have permission to detain her as such.

Sakura later found out that the man was no where near as adept at shadow possession as the lowliest Nara, but he was still scary enough to convince her.

So, she had been shown into the red-head's office for a meeting he had apparently planned for. Matsuri and Kankuro were both standing against the wall flanking their leader. Well, Matsuri stood while Kankuro leaned trying to look bored. Instead he looked by like a certain Uchiha as he brooded menacingly. Matsuri awarded the pink-haired woman with a small smile, but did not move toward her.

Gaara regarded the Haruno kunoichi with much thought, and she thought she would die fidgeting under his long gaze. No such luck.

"Haruno-san, I have spent these few hours...questioning...your attackers." The Kazekage, forever blunt and impatient, shot straight to the point. "They have thus far foregone any answers, but we will have something of their plan soon." A dark thought glimmered in his teal eyes belying a bit of his sinister alter-ego that may still reside within his small form. "Until then, I want you under our protection at all times. It would not do for a dignitary of the Village Hidden in the Leaves to be assassinated in Suna. I believe that is the heart of the matter."

"Did you forget that I am ashinobi first, and dignitary involuntarily? My goal in visiting here is as a shinobi..." Her protest was cut off by a scorching glare that would have put Tsunade to shame.

"I am aware of your goals and abilities, but it is still _my _responsibility to maintain your safety, shinobi or not." Gaara rose and began pacing behind his desk. Kankuro merely watched, seemingly not interested, while Matsuri tried to become a part of the wall on which she leaned. Still pacing, the Kazekage spoke.

"That is why I have pulled Matsuri from her mission as your escort. She may be talented and capable, but lacks in experience. So, you will be under Kankuro's care, once again." He paused and gave Sakura a measured look. "Like it or not. I trust my brother more than anyone save my sister, and she is not here. You two.." he swung his gaze at Kankuro who took his turn shrinking into the wall, "will get over your differences. Now."

And with that, they were dismissed.

For what it was worth, Matsuri tried her best to cheer Sakura up. She told the older woman that, though they would not be attending any diplomatic events for some time, they could still go shopping. Sakura smiled and said thanks, then turned to make her way back to her room. She was suddenly very tired and needed sleep.

The awkward silence was thick enough to cut with the dullest of knives.

"So...House arrest it is, then." Sakura's bitterness was nearly tangible.

"It's not like that and you know it," came his soft reply. She looked side-long at the middle Sand Sibling, through her veil of pink locks. He looked ragged and tired, even through the face-paint, and she realized that he had probably not slept. He had probably worked tirelessly along with Gaara and Baki in their questioning of the Twins. Slowly, the anger and frustration of her predicament eased out of her tense body.

"Well, since we're stuck together, again, you may as well tell me about the Twins." Kankuro nodded to the door guard, the very same shadow-weilder as before, as he stepped aside to allowed them entrance into the guest suite. Sakura nodded and gave a small smile as she entered. He had only been following orders, and she understood that all-too-well.

They sat in her room, she on the bed and he on the plush chair in the corner, discussing the Twins at length. And, after much explanation, Sakura gained an idea of who the two were.

As it turned out, they were rogue Sand ninja who had made their way into numerous Bingo books by way of mercenary work. Suna had been searching for them for years. Hiro only possessed low-level basic ninjutsu but had a severe skill with weapons. He was also stealthy and had made his mark as a silent killer. Yuki possessed a ninjutsu that allowed her to blend into her surroundings, skin and hair literally taking on the hue of the walls around her. However, her ninjutsu cost much chakra, and she was forced to use it in moderation.

It was their hair and eyes that made them remarkable. As well as easy targets. He had white hair and red eyes, and she was the opposite with blood-red hair and irises so light grey they looked white. Their looks were exotic even in Suna, but they had defected because they were blood-thirsty and did not think twice to kill.

A ninja's skill _not_ to kill prisoners in order to question them was lost on the Twins, and this alone had caused them to go rogue. They enjoyed causing death, and made a decent living doing so.

"But why me?" Sakura questioned, brow furrowed in deep thought. She was met with a shrug that would have been nonchalant had in not been for his stiff posture. Kankuro was worried about something, and Sakura could not quite grasp what.

"They are mercenaries who love to kill. Gaara seems to think that someone wants to kill you while you are in this village in order to pit our two nations against one another." He ran a hand through his ragged hair. One of Kankuro's nervous quarks, and Sakura nearly smiled that she had figured him out. "Not all of our politicians are happy about our alliance, especially since Konoha garnered so many advantages. I just didn't think it'd go this far."

"Yeah, I haven't been in a life-threatening situation in a while, so I guess it was only a matter of time." Sarcasm and bitterness did not taste so well. Nor did it sound well, and Kankuro met her gaze. This time he spoke softly but firmly.

"I'll protect you. Sakura-chan. Even if it kills me." His chivalry was not lost on her, but his bluntness made her uncomfortable. Was the playboy merely doing his duty, or was there more? She didn't really have the peace of mind to think about what was going on between them, so she instead stood and grabbed her work attire.

"I'm gonna change and get ready for work. If I can't do anything else, I may as well be saving lives." With that, the girl closed the bathroom door behind her.

Kankuro took a shaky breath and let it out slowly.

Here he was looking after Sakura again, and he wasn't really sure if he could handle it. He didn't know why the girl affected him so much, especially after finding out about her little rendezvous on a moonlit rooftop with Gaara. And he certainly didn't know what she thought of him. And now this, what with the assassination attempt and all. He did know, however, that he needed to protect her. He hadn't lied when he had told her that he would die keeping her safe. But would it come to that?

Someone was playing a deadly game, and they still didn't know the who or the why of the matter.

Of course, all he cared about was the beautiful pink-haired blossom that was currently standing over him with a concerned look in her glistening green eyes.

Those eyes could drive a wedge into any man's heart. And pool heat in his pants.

"Are you okay?" She shook him while passing a hand in front of his face. The puppet-nin's head shook slightly and his deep brown eyes blinked as if he were seeing her for the first time. He shook his head once more.

"Yeah, didn't get much sleep last night..." He stood and followed her through the door into the hall. Both nodded to the guard outside her door.

"So...Will they be at my office too?" Sakura questioned tossing an uneasy glance at the new guard. At Kankuro's nod, she blanched a bit.

"Why? Afraid we'll find out how badly your medical skills suck. That's it; you just don't want us to find out that you're a big fraud!" He dodged her sweeping fist easily. "Haha, missed me."

"Cut it out. I'm just tired. And no, my medical skills are real. It's just that I feel like you guys are forgetting that I'm not helpless. For God's sake, I'm a kunoichi. You know...female ninja?"

"Really?" His face filled with an almost believable attempt at wonder over the idea.

"Yup, got the head-band to prove it."

"I think it's a fake. And a bad one at that." Her swiping fist almost made contact again.

"Jeeze, Sakura-chan, I was up all night interrogating prisoners. Why are you so tired?"

At that, she stopped and looked thoughtful.

"What?" He stopped a few steps ahead, head tilted to the side.

"I had a dream that Gaara was sleeping right before the attack." Involuntarily, the woman shivered, even though the desert was still unbearably hot on this late autumn day.

"I know, pretty scary but true nonetheless." He shivered as if to prove the point, then added. "But you know what's scarier?"

"Hmmm...?" She was walking along, idly wondering about what she would have to do at work that afternoon.

"Sakura-chan first thing in the morning." This time her fist made contact, but not enough to keep him from darting into the hospital. Whooping laughter filtered down the halls as Sakura chased Kankuro down several corridors before both needed to stop for a breath.

"Well, since you have so properly escorted me to work," Sakura said as her breath calmed, "I have a new doctor to initiate." A slightly wicked smile curved her ruby lips.

"Not going easy the first day in?"

"Nope, not at all." With a wave over her shoulder, Sakura headed into her office.

Kankuro watched her until the door was closed firmly, flanked by guards who would follow her throughout the rest of the work day.

He pitied both the guards and the new doctor. That glint in the girl's eye promised evil, and he almost wished he'd be there to witness.

Almost.


	13. Three Days

**A/N: What is up, my dearies? Hope you enjoy this next chapter!! And thanks again to my faithful fans, as well as those who stop by and read on a whim. Please review. I love hearing what you guys think.**

**Also, I do not own the main characters within this story.**

Pulling Strings

Three Days

Three days.

Sakura sat at her desk huffing and muttering low to herself. Safe to say she was pissed.

Three whole days.

It had been bad enough being the 'shiny new penny' in the village. It had been bad enough that she was so young and a kunoichi and that she had revolutionized their hospital and Medical Corps all by herself. It had been bad enough when all of those idiots vied for her attention like she was some kind of pink-haired, exotic prize. It had been bad enough to have to be escorted every step that she took.

Three whole mother-fucking days.

Now. NOW. She wasn't allowed to go _anywhere _without escort and at least one other elite shinobi in tow. Gaara had even gone so far as to create a rotating schedule that incorporated Suna's Anbu. These were serious ninja who were stuck babysitting _her_. She wanted to slap herself every time she saw one of those poor guys posted outside of her quarters or office.

Three whole mother-fucking, tooth-grinding days.

Matsuri had been visiting her daily. That was a given. The two ladies had forged a budding friendship during Matsuri's stint as her babysitter. That was no problem, considering Matsuri's tendency to worry and fret. Kankuro, on the other hand, was getting downright annoying. He acted as her escort round the clock, usually waking her in the morning and staying nearby until she went to sleep at night. It would have been sweet, had she not known the reason. And the guy was constantly fussing over her well-being, dressing down every guard who lost sight of her for a split second. The man had become way over-bearing, and the woman was _this_ close to snapping.

Three days.

That's how long it had been since those idiot twins had made an attempt on Sakura's life. Gaara, Baki, and Kankuro, when he wasn't up her own ass, were still in the process of 'questioning' the two. But, the medic in her kept telling her that if the two hadn't folded by now, they never would. Of course, the shinobi in her said that, if Baki's methods were anything like Ibiki's, he could pull something from them yet. These thoughts made her shiver, so she forced her thoughts elsewhere.

Gaara had been wroth with the fact that the Twins had been able to infiltrate the village, let alone break into the tower. _His _tower. He had called for an immediate inspection of the ranks; suffice it to say that he had not been happy. Thus, when not holed up in the dungeon with the torture-master and his prisoners, the Kazekage was elbow-deep in training evaluations and new recruits.

Matsuri often visited with a smile on her lips and a hint of sadness to her eyes. Sakura pitied the girl. She understood what it was like to love a man who did not return her affection. The problem was that, Sakura just felt it to be true, Gaara cared something for the girl, he just didn't know it. It was obvious in his jealous rages when another man paid her any small amount of attention. Sakura wished that she could figure out a way to get the Kazekage alone in order to discuss things with him. She knew that she would never know how to approach him about the matter, so all of her match-making attempts had fizzled to a halt.

Poor Matsuri was suffering her crush's angst with undiminished kindness. Any time he got snide, she only countered with a soft agreement and a sweet smile. Gaara had to be a complete moron not to notice his assistant's lingering looks and stifled sighs. But, Sakura suspected that he didn't even notice his own heated glances and jealous scowls. Ah, young love.

The hospital staff had been pretty accomodating. Seido and the rest of the med-nin worked around the guards and often enlisted their help in difficult procedures. The new civilian doctors took everything in stride and shrugged it off as some odd custom of which foreigers, such as themselves, knew little.

Then, there had been Kankuro.

He rarely left her side except when she retired for the night. Sakura knew that, even then, had she allowed, he would have stayed in her room. When the girl was holed up in the sanctuary of her hospital, complete with guards, Anbu, and medic-nin, he would join Gaara and Baki in their torment of the Twins.

Deep down, she understood. He blamed himself for their near-successful attempt on her life. It did not matter that she had requested his dismissal as her escort, nor did it matter that the attack came in the dead of night in her sleeping quarters. He didn't even care that she had wrestled one of them into submission by way of her own abilities and cunning. She was a ninja, after all. All of these factors were lost on the puppet-nin, and it was evident in the sleepless lines on his face. Kankuro's self-loathing was near tangible.

When she had tried to broach the topic, telling him that she was safe with guards appointed by his own hand and that he needed to sleep in order to protect her fully, the man would hear none of it. Purely, simply, he felt her wronged and wished to atone.

As it seemed, Sakura hadn't understood after all.

He was so adamant about keeping her safe while finding out who had funded the contract and exacting revenge. Their easy banter of old was gone. Even his wayward gentleness had left. Kankuro was slowly becoming a husk, consumed by his anger.

How could she fix this?

This was Sakura's train of thoughts this early morning. She should have been making her rounds, but she had not been able to force herself into the task. Her eternally present guards were wearing on her nerves, so, in the solitude of her office, the Hokage's apprentice sought a way to return things to normal.

And the light of realization dawned. Her unnatural brooding, well unnatural since her exile to Suna which had not allowed her to dwell on the suck that was her life, dealt solely with Kankuro's attitude. The moron had become the only piece of her old existence still evident within the city of sand. Yes, there was Gaara, but he had changed so much in his capacity as Kazekage. Matsuri was not the genin that she had remembered. Tamari was just plain gone.

And that left Kankuro.

Solid, unflinching, unchanging.

Unerringly perverted, beautifully charming.

Uncompromisingly loyal.

With this silly sense of belated chivalry in trying to atone for some phantom mistake, his greatest qualities had begun to diminish. Sakura would give anything to see him flirt with the pretty red-haired nurse, as long as he returned to his old self.

_Methinks you are falling for the guy._

It was a simple thought that flooded her entire mind. Inner Sakura stood resolute in the recesses of her anxiety as if eyeing a person who may challenge her omniscience.

Sakura did not have time to linger on these inklings as she was shaken from her train of thought when her office door burst open. She had jumped from her chair into a defensive squat within the bat of an eye. A kunai's razor edge flashed in the overhead light, as she readied to strike.

The guard took in the kunoichi's position and halted, hand still on the doorknob. He bowed, having obviously forgotten the woman's training and not realizing she would be on edge.

"Sorry, Haruno-san," Sakura hated it when shinobi spoke to her formally, but did not get the opportunity to correct the man, "Kazekage-sama would see you, immediately."

Sakura gathered her wits and moved to bark orders at Seido, who had already begun preparations for her absence. Who knew how long an obviously important meeting with the village's leader would take?

In short order, Sakura and her guards were hustled into the Kazekage's office. There, she was met with Matsuri who waved slightly and looked positively about to burst with some sort of excitement. Kankuro was at his usual perch; leaned against the wall behind his brother's desk. Only, today, his eyes shone with a luster that had been missing for a while. Gaara was, well...Gaara. All in all, the picture could have been menacing, had Matsuri reserved happiness been replaced by Temari's steely sea-green consideration.

Sakura resisted a shiver. The Sand Siblings weren't one of the most feared shinobi teams in the world just because they were all three so pretty.

The youngest of the Siblings eyed her with his carefully stoic regard. Wait, was that a bit of a mischievous gleam twinkling in his left eye? Was his mouth slightly curling at the corners with a carefully concealed smirk? What?

"Haruno, please be seated," Gaara nodded to the chair closest to her. One thing Gaara had always made a point at was maintaining the air of dignity and courtesy expected of his office. Sakura, however, did not want nor care for social niceties. Hence the reason why she was reluctant to attend any functions where she ran the risk of embarrassing her entire village. It didn't matter if she tripped over her left foot and made an ass out of herself, but she hated that her village's reputation in Suna was marked by every word and action from her. She was Sakura, eternal clutz and loud-mouth.

Well, at least they hadn't sent Naruto.

"I'm sorry Kazekage-sama, but I must get back to the hospital." Gaara visibly reacted to her formal speech and rose from his seat. He moved around to lean against the front of the desk, arms crossed, fixing her with his teal gaze. Kankuro made an impatient sound.

"Oh, for Christ's sake...Hiro cracked." That was it. All of this drama over this little...wait what?

Matsuri caught her eye and nodded.

"It is true, Sakura-san," the kunoichi's black ripples flounced with each nod. "Hiro gave us some interesting insight..." The assistant deferred to her master.

"It seems that Hiro is very protective of his sister, and vice versa. He just happened to be the least adamant of the two." Gaara's eyes glittered again. There was more. "I am sending a team into the desert to track their comrades. It seems that the group is made up of primarily rogue Sand-nin, and that the man who contracted their talents travels with them. We will capture the master-mind and...dispose...of the rogues." The red-head's face shadowed at his own words, but this was not allowed to last long because Kankuro let out a 'whoop' of excitement and leapt at her from his restive position against the wall.

He gripped her in a tight embrace, then pushed her to arm's length to look into her startled eyes. Excited eyes the color of dark chocolate searched her face. His enthusiasm was contagious and Sakura found herself smiling softly.

"Baki and I are going to find them and make them _pay_." The puppet-master's grip on her biceps was strong as a vice.

"Ahem..." Gaara cleared his throat, obviously not happy with his brother's interruption or enthusiastic display. "I'm not only sending the two of you... You will be joined by the rest of Baki's team as well as a team of Anbu." Kankuro released the petite woman and whirled on his brother, livid.

"Now, wait...Gaara. Baki and I can handle these lowlifes. Why the hell do you think we need all of that backup, and besides..." The elder brother's rant was cut off by a hard, black-rimmed stare.

"I wasn't finished." He addressed Sakura. "Kankuro and Baki will deal with the man who leads the group, and the Anbu will take care of the rouges then bring them back to the village." He paused and glanced at Matsuri. Something passed between them, gazes flickering with telepathically conveyed thoughts. He turned to Kankuro. "You will need a skilled medic, as well...Haruno will be joining you."

The world shifted, and Sakura nearly fell flat on her ass. She was a medic who no longer took missions, but had found herself sent on one anyways. Now, the leader of _another_ village wanted to install her into another mission? She was definitely going to faint.

The floor blurred, and, as if sensing her unsteadiness, Kankuro placed a steadying hand on the back of her neck. Deep, deep in her consciousness, Sakura realized that this was a purely instinctual movement on his part. It sent messages of both comfort and possessiveness. What? She had dated an Inuzuka, hadn't she? No way to come out of their relationship without knowing a little about the possessive nature of males. The only thing was, that most men did not react this way unless they at least subconsciously considered the female his own. That one touch implicated so much, and she didn't have any time to think it through. Besides, it _was_ comforting.

Then he had to go and ruin it.

"Why would you send a guest who is also a foreign shinobi on such a mission?"

Sakura's elbow cocked back of its own accord, and Kankuro found himself, once again, knocked out by her insane strength. While the puppet-nin slid into a pathetic heap onto the floor, Sakura addressed Gaara.

He leveled an easy look on her that stated that she had no choice in the matter, nor did the whimpering pile at her feet. Sakura cocked a slender pink brow at him.

"I just thought you might want a little action after spending so much time in the hospital." He gave a dismissive shrug then turned away. It was clearly time to take her leave.

He did have a point. She was feeling rusty and cooped up. Maybe a dangerous mission would help her center her mind and emotions.


	14. Foreplay

**A/N: A little angst to build up for a fight scene. Hope you enjoy. And, again, thanks to my fans, faithful and new, and especially to those who review.**

**These characters are not mine.**

Pullings Strings

Foreplay

A day later, Sakura found herself traveling swiftly through the dense desert of Wind Country. Autumn had mostly run its course, and by now, in Konoha, the leaves of the forest would be a myriad of brightness. Late fall in Suna was little different than any other season, except the intense chill that descended after the sun set. The medic was sure that she would finally understand what it meant to nearly freeze to death as the team moved further from the village, and her warm bed. Surely camping in sub-zero temperatures was not her idea of a good time.

But, she was shinobi and would endure.

That is if she could survive her teammates.

Once again, Baki had insisted on traveling with one man on point, one on each side, and two at the rear. All, of course protecting her in the center of the formation. And, much to her disdain, Kankuro had whole-heartedly agreed. Her protests were met with stony silence from both men, and Sakura rankled at their combined efforts.

What would she have to do to prove that she feared no one, and that she did not need coddled?

Thus, Baki, Kankuro, and Sakura travelled with a three-man Anbu team following closely. The Black-ops team's presence was a bit off-putting, considering that Sakura wasn't really sure about their mission. But, she had a feeling that it would not be pretty for any rogue-nin they might encounter.

Finally, after hours of travel, Baki called for a halt. Under an outcropping of sandstone rocks, the group made their camp. They had brought canteens, but were in dire need of refills. Even veterans of the harsh environment of Wind Country needed to keep hydrated, and it amazed Sakura to learn that it was long-standing policy that at least one member of each of Suna's shinobi teams know how to conjure water from deep within the earth. The medic watched raptly as Baki, with the assistance of one of the Anbu, pulled a tiny rivulet of clear water from a spring beneath the sand. They refilled their canteens as well as formed a dip in the sand for the water to pool. This would allow the campers access to the water for both cooking and drinking.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Kankuro interrupted the girl's thoughts as he seated himself beside her. She had leaned against one of the rocks in order to watch the water-gathering closely. "It's one of the few smart things my father did while in office."

The tone of bitterness at the mention of the Fourth Kazekage sounded strange coming from the puppet-nin. He had regained much of his boisterous old self in the prospect of defeating an enemy and winning back his self-confidence. This was another side of Kankuro that Sakura was saddened to be witness to.

The Sand Siblings had lived in fear of their father. The man had been ruthless in his experimentation with Gaara, and, later, his attempts on his youngest son's life. Most of why the elder siblings feared the younger so much came from what had been instilled by the Kazekage's hatred. Even now, if one looked closely at the fragile relationship held by the three, one could see the deep emotional scars left by that vile man. Sakura nearly sobbed aloud at the thought and wanted to hold Kankuro tightly; to tell him that he didn't need to prove himself to her. She wanted to hold Temari and Gaara close and tell then that they could move on and live their lives. The moment passed, though, without her sobbing uncotrollably, trying to console the man. It wasn't her place. This was something the three needed to do for themselves, without her help.

They would make their amends in their own right. Kankuro's was in proving himself a strong shinobi, a strong man.

Perhaps she had been a little too hard on him.

"You in there, Sakura-chan?" A light touch brushed across the girl's shoulder, and she looked up to see deep brown eyes under furrowed brunette brows. She nodded and looked back to the pool of water.

"I had been wondering how we would all stay hydrated while on this trip... Guess that answers my question. It really is a genius idea..." He sat next to her listening intently as she went into lecture mode, pointing out all of the possibilities available from that one simple ninjutsu.

While the girl rambled, Kankuro thought how funny it was that she was a medic-nin but had no nin-jutsu of her own. Yeah, she knew the basics, like shadow-clones and such, and she could perform a multitude of high-ranked medical techniques, but she had no techniques to call her own. Maybe, once this was all over, he could help her develop some using her chakra control and insane strength. He gazed down at the girl who was currently ticking off all of the signs of dehydration on her fingers and allowed himself a smile.

She was so damnably cute.

Baki, who had finished overseeing the water-gathering, had moved to the other side of the camp in order to ponder a map. He had a plan, albeit one that was hasty and most likely to fail, but it was a plan. He queried out a last few loose ends in his thinking, and needed a moment to gather his thoughts before relaying the plan to his teammates. It was then that he noticed the interaction between Kankuro and Sakura.

The two were sitting at ease together, something he never would have guessed considering their falling-out. Sakura was animated in a way that he had not seen since she had previously visited Suna. Kankuro was actually listening to her words with a look of amused fondness.

Baki lowered the map he had been studying and took to watching the two shinobi and their actions. They were close enough to touch, but did not do so consciously. The girl was facing away, but the boy had turned slightly toward her. He used his height advantage to look down at her without being conspicuous. All-too-clearly, Baki realized the cause of their awkwardness. There was chemistry there, and they knew it but were reluctant to act.

Baki shook his head. Kankuro was such an idiot.

"Okay, you guys, I have a plan. Gather around." All heads turned toward the team leader, and there was shuffling as they made their way toward him. Baki stifled a chuckle when he saw Kankuro offer his hand to Sakura, who batted said hand away and rose of her own volition. _Kids_, he thought wryly.

It took very little time to outline his plan. There was little to it, and it was risky so he hadn't minced words. When all was finessed to a degree, Sakura found herself shivering and alone as she set up her bedroll. They had little time to scope out their enemies and their abilities, so they would just charge in and hope the element of surprise would stun their victims. This was a plan that Naruto would have loved, but the medic found it wanting. She had left the group feeling sick and uneasy.

Kankuro watched from his vantage point beside Baki as the girl unrolled her bedroll next to a large rock. He knew her discomfort and felt terrible for her. Being the medic of the team, she would be left on the outskirts of the skirmish. She would have to bear witness to their folly, and hope that she could save them when necessary. The knowledge that he would have to, once again, rely on her for his well-being left an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had wanted this mission as a way to atone for nearly getting her killed, but all was different now. They were probably walking into their deaths, and they knew it.

"She's going to freeze to death..." Baki spoke softly, as if reading Kankuro's worried thoughts about the girl. "She's not used to the bitterness of desert nights." Kankuro looked at him, a bewildered expression haunting his eyes. He blinked, uncomprehending.

Baki sighed. The boy really was an idiot.

"It is not unheard of for teammates to share bedrolls in the cold desert nights. We did so on numerous occasions." He pointed to where the Anbu team had rolled out one blanket for comfort and were sharing the other two, hoping to utilize their own body heat. There was seemingly nothing awkward about this for the three elite shinobi. The sight brought back a glimpse of a memory of a time that Gaara stood watch on a particularly cold night, while Baki, Temari, and Kankuro had huddled under their blankets for warmth.

Tossing a quick glance at Baki, the brunette stood, but did not move toward the girl immediately.

"It's fine. I'll stand first watch. Get some rest." He looked meaningfully toward where Sakura lay huddled and shivering. "And, for God's sake, keep her warm."

At this, Kankuro moved deftly to where his female teammate lay. As he came upon her, he could see that the already frigid temperature was taking its toll on the girl. She had wrapped herself in her bright yellow travelling cloak, hood and all, then had zipped her bedroll tightly around herself. Even so, the poor girl trembled visibly, and anyone seeing her would know that she would not sleep well, if at all.

Kankuro fought the urge to cast a wary look to his mentor, knowing that this was necessary. It just felt wrong, somehow. Yeah, he had been forced to admit to himself that there was something between them, something that she probably hadn't become aware of, but he didn't feel right invading her space in such an intimate manner.

Heh, since when did Suna's number one pervert have a conscience? This was a really hot chick who needed to be kept warm, right? Lucky Kankuro was there to offer, huh?

So he convinced himself somehow. And, with a deep breath and a squaring of shoulders, Suna's resident puppet-master pulled his own bedroll around himself and sat down, back against the rock that Sakura was using as a wind-break.

It had been a good idea to sleep near the rock, considering that soon enough the desert winds would be howling bitterly. Another of the desert's odd quirks. Any breeze during the day brought dryness that would tighten one's throat to the point of gasping, but at night, it was a whole different story. The desert's nighttime winter winds were brazenly cold and sounded like the cries of the dead. At least, against the rock, the noise wasn't so bad.

Still, Sakura lay shivering with her eyes closed tight, hands over ears. Kankuro touched her shoulder lightly. The cold and weariness of travel must have dulled the girl's senses, because she barely responded. Instead of whirling out of bed reaching for a weapon, the kunoichi cracked an eye open, as if afraid any other movement would bring on more cold.

"Here," Kankuro grasped her small frame, trying not to jostle her too much, and pulled her into his lap. Bedroll, cloak, and all. Her body went rigid at the invasion of her space. "We have to conserve body heat, so that neither of us will freeze."

Realization donned in those bleary eyes, but she did nothing but nod slightly.

"Of course, the best course of action would be for us to strip off our gear and cuddle naked." Though he spoke softly, the words were not lost on the girl.

"Pervert," came her muffled response as she burrowed deeper into the warmth of Kankuro's embrace.

"Don't worry, I won't touch you." He didn't know why he felt the need to say it, but he did anyways. Surely, Sakura knew that she could trust him, but he felt the need to reassure her.

She looked up at him, deep green eyes so dark with sleep they looked black, but for the emerald sparkle brought out by starlight. "I know."

Those two words, borne on a sighing whisper as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, eased the boy to where he felt his own body relax around hers.

They would fight their battle on the morrow and one would probably die, but at least tonight they understood one another.


	15. Time For Some Action

**A/N: Hullo kiddees. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I actually had a bit of fun writing it. If the fight sequence sucks, I apologize. Angst and romance are my forte, not necessarily action. I just hope I conveyed the speed and intensity of battle, as well as Sakura's emotions during the process. Anyway, enjoy. And thanks again to my readers and reviewers. Especially _earthbender068_ for her wonderful input.**

**These peoples are not mines.**

Pulling Strings

Time For Some Action

Sakura woke the next morning just before dawn. She hadn't been uncomfortable all night, like she thought she would. On the contrary, she had had the best night of sleep possible since her departure from Konoha. All it had taken was another body wrapped around her own, filling in the void that seemed to fill the air in this god-forsaken desert. Even though she had spent the night half seated in someone's lap leaned against a boulder to ward off the desperately cold desert wind, and she had slept like a baby.

The girl looked up at Kankuro. His brows were furrowed slightly, still sound asleep. His chin rested on his chest, which she was so tightly nestled against. His body had kept her warm, accomplished in part by the multitude of layers of clothing and blankets that surrounded her, but he was the one that was propped against the rock. That couldn't be comfortable. A shot of guilt crept through her; it was slightly mortifying that he had gone to such lengths to make her comfortable. Especially with the torment of self-loathing coursing through him. That, too, had been her fault.

She was going to owe the poor guy something fierce when they got back to Suna.

For now, though, she thought to wake the others and make ready to leave, while giving Kankuro a few more seconds to sleep in.

As she shifted from his lap to rise, she felt a gentle caress on her bottom. Startled, the girl raised her eyes to his face, and saw that he still slept. Focusing more on her own body, she became aware that, indeed, one of his hands had cradled itself along the outer curve of her butt cheek. Apparently, in his sleep , he had loosened his grip on her shivering form, and his hand had come to rest in what should have been his lap. Unfortunately, said lap was occupied by Sakura's ass. Hence, an unintentional groping session.

Sakura smiled and nearly laughed out loud. This, after he had acted such the gentleman the previous evening and had promised not to touch her. It would be funny to call him out on it later. But, for now, she needed breakfast.

Once risen, the girl realized, that though the sun wasn't yet above the horizon, the temperature had already begun to rise. It would be another sweltering day in the deserts of Wind Country. The medic mused about how much money a meteorologist could make in this place. One would be hard pressed to miss a forecast. Just as she was tying her head band atop her hair, enjoying her inner personality's antics, she noticed that the Anbu were not in camp and that Baki had already packed most of their gear.

"Baki-san, what's going on," she said softly. The morning was still too new to speak in a normal voice. Baki must have felt so too, because he answered in a whisper.

"I altered our plan only slightly. I've sent the Anbu ahead to scout a bit, since stealth is their specialty. They will meet us on the outskirts of the enemy camp and give us an idea of what we're up against. I figured that if we're going to fight today, we may as well be somewhat prepared." Sakura looked at him thoughtfully.

"Ummm...So why are we doing this anyway? Why don't we just go back to Suna and report this to Gaara? Perhaps, he could send more shinobi?"

Baki finished filling the canteens and looked around the campsite to make sure all was in order. It took a moment for him to answer, but when he did so, he met her gaze evenly with his lone dark eye. There was a dark circle beneath it, and Sakura knew that he had not slept the night before.

"Kankuro would not allow it. This is our mission, and he will carry it out. No matter what. His pride as a shinobi and as a leader within our village rests on what happens today."

"So, we may all die today...for the sake of his pride." That was complete nonsense. There was no point in them acting the kamekaze just to give Kankuro a taste of what it was to be a man. She was very near to taking back all of the tender thoughts that she'd had toward him.

Then, she was reminded of the shadows that loomed over her own reputation. Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Lady Tsunade. Then there was every other person of greatness who had come out of Konoha. That one hidden village had produced high caliber shinobi for generations. But, _she _had joined the academy and Team 7, and all of that had changed. Sakura thought of how she had been wallowing in a ball of self-pity for the past five years, and how she had even made it a point not to have to say goodbye to anyone when she left her homeland. At the time, the girl had thought that no one would truly miss her.

She understood exactly how Kankuro felt.

She had just as much to prove as he did.

And, if they proved successful, she could finally convince all of Suna to quit babying her.

"Well, we should probably head out then..." Sakura took a deep breath and let it out in a puff that ruffled her bangs. There was a fine mist that evaporated in the warming morning air. She turned back to the team leader and changed the subject. "You and I both know that I wouldn't have frozen to death last night. There is a major difference between air devoid of temperature and air that is frigid due to weather."

Baki spread his hands in a complacent gesture. "I merely made a suggestion. You're the one who took him up on his offer."

Sakura flushed deeply and turned her back on the both of them under the pretext of stretching her cold muscles. Couldn't do with a pulled muscle on a day like this. Nope, not at all.

Baki chuckled and went to awaken their other teammate who was still probably blissfully dreaming of groping a certain pink-haired girl's behind.

Several hours later, the trio found themselves on the outskirts of a small oasis. Their enemy had been camped here for sometime, and it seemed that this was their main base of operations. There wasn't much to the camp; a small mud hut, and three tents. The oasis consisted of a shallow pool that was little more than a puddle and some scrub. Surrounding the camp, though, was a low stone wall that could not have been natural this far into the desert. This made Sakura uncomfortable. She looked up into the sky and worked the muscles in her shoulders to keep them loose.

It was nearing midday, and Sakura felt a sharp pang of hunger tear through her body. It had been some time since she had been on a mission that required her to shift her eating habits. Lord knew how irritable she got when she was hungry.

_Ah, well we can use it to kick some major ass here._ She mused to herself.

_Speaking of ass. That was a nice bit of a grope there wasn't it. I bet his hands are glorious. You know...grip like a vice, calloused, warm, gentle. Bet he could work magic with those hands._

Sakura shifted restlessly trying to shake the thoughts her inner self was conjuring of Kankuro using just his hands to bring her to the brink of excruciating pleasure.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, you alright?" He raised a brow at the girl.

She had been rather fidgety for the past several minutes as they stood listening to the report from the Anbu team. The puppet-master eyed her discreetly. There was a slight flush to her cheeks, probably from the excitement of their endeavor, and she was clenching her fists reflexively. Ah, he had seen her do this before. Apparently, this particular nervous tic was one associated with preparing for battle.

Sakura flexed her gloved fist again, cracking several knuckles. The slight ache of the joints giving way took the edge off her anticipation, but did little to abate it. They were going through with this hair-brained scheme, and she would be forced to endure most of it as a spectator.

The Anbu team had done well in their mission to retrieve any tidbit of information possible about this enemy. As it turned out, the group was small; besides the Twins who were currently quarantined in Suna, there were only three other members to this merry little band. Two middle-ranked shinobi, and one mid-boss-type leader. All were missing nin form Suna.

Sakura had sniffed disdainfully at the identities of the enemy. She had no idea who they were, the Sand Trio and Baki had been the only Suna shinobi that she had known very well. Them, and Chiyo, of course, but she was dead, and these three certainly didn't have ties to her.

So, the girl currently found herself standing to the side as her teammates plotted their course of action. Since there seemed to be no sentries posted, which was odd considering that this group had sent members to a Hidden Village for assassination purposes, Baki had felt that the best way to conduct this farce, was to draw the bad-guys out directly. Thus, explosions on the outskirts of the camp. Once they were out in the open, Baki and the rest of the Sand-ninja would swarm them and take them out. Sakura was to wait and offer any medical assistance when needed.

Yup, this plan was right up Naruto's alley. For Sakura, though it was downright scary. She had been trained by the Fifth Hokage to evade enemy strikes and conserve her chakra in order to be more useful to her team. She understood that, really she did, but it still chafed to be left to the side yet again. All that damned training to get better, and here she was being protected by more men.

Oh well, not much she could do now.

A heavy weight on one shoulder drew her away from her thoughts. She found herself being stared at by an anxious puppeteer.

"I said, 'are you alright, Sakura-chan?'". His eyes searched her face for a moment. He hadn't like the unsettled look that had crossed her features, and he wondered what kind of thoughts travelled her mind. The girl shook herself and waved him off, dismissively.

"Oh, nothing. It's just been a while since I've been in battle." She inhaled heavily. "Just kind of nervous, ya know." A little shrug, as if trying to shake off wary thoughts, followed by a bright smile that would have been cheery had it reached her eyes.

Kankuro eyed her for another minute. She wasn't fooling him, and he wanted to say something, anything, that would make her feel better. He didn't. He couldn't think of anything profound enough to match the moment, so he just shrugged and moved to check his own gear.

Soon enough Baki sent everyone to their positions. Sakura was posted along the outer part of the camp at a point from where she could keep an eye on the proceedings, as well as dash in to administer any medical aid without being overwhelmed by enemy fire.

Baki counted off on his fingers to show all when it was time to move.

He counted the last second and closed his fist.

Explosions sounded to Sakura's left. Fires erupted from nowhere. The Anbu had done their job well.

Sakura closed her eyes, steeling herself against the oncoming fight. She took a deep breath and listened for the arrival of the missing nin.

All hell broke loose.

Sakura heard the first come out of his hiding place before she even opened her eyes. He was a large man, and his thunderous footsteps echoed even across the sand. His bellowed shouts added to the sound of his movements, and Sakura wondered how he would have ever made a living as a shinobi whose number one fighting technique is stealth.

The brutish man with all of his raucous shouts and heavy-handed assaults by way of a double-bladed battle axe was soon complemented by his partner. She was smaller than Sakura, and moved softly and swiftly. For ever roaring swing of the axe, came two dashing melee attacks from her. As the giant's weapon soared in swooping arcs, she darted in and out of the fray with nothing but two kunai enhanced with chakra. The two worked well together, and Sakura realized that they had most definitely been members of the same genin team.

For all the bluster and finesse that the two carried in their complementary efforts, the watching medic was compelled to watch Suna's Anbu team at work. The three had been of a team for a long time as well, and they worked splendidly together. Whereas their enemies had the combined abilities of both short- and long-ranged fighting, the Anbu were masters of their own ninjutsu. They went one after the other, forming a sink-hole to catch the erratically moving female, then using a wind attack to nearly pry the man's weapon from his hands. It almost worked too, but his grip held, and one of the Anbu was caught by a glancing blow.

While Sakura dashed in to heal the wounded Anbu shinobi, the enemy were able to regroup and come at the other Sand shinobi en force. This was going to be a long bout.

Once Sakura was finished healing the long gash across her comrade's midriff, she rushed back out to the sidelines. Her eyes darted to the other fight that was raging.

The leader of the little group of misfits from Suna was not old, nor was he young, probably about Kakashi's age. His wheat colored hair was tied in a long pony-tail, and he had summer-blue eyes. His coloring reminded Sakura much of the knuckle-headed boy who carried the Nine-tails that she had left in Konoha. Only this guy's hair and eyes were muted, they weren't nearly as vibrant. No, his eyes carried malice, and his gaze caught her own and shook her to her core.

He was the one who wanted her dead.

Sakura squared her shoulders and stared back at him. She would not be cowed by this boar, and she would show him. His teeth glinted when he smiled, but his gaze did not linger. He still had to contend with two of the strongest shinobi Suna had to offer.

The man had only a blink's worth of time to use his ninjutsu in defense as Baki sent a torrent of wind-blades in his direction.

Ah, now they knew his trick, at the risk of him learning Baki's. The other man could manipulate stones. He had pulled a wall of stone from deep within the earth to protect himself from Baki's wind technique.

When he let down his wall, fully intent on gloating, Kankuro sent Karas flying. He meant to get the puppet in close enough to use his poison. Apparently, though, the enemy knew more about Kankuro than they had realized, because he evaded Karas easily and threw up a stone barrier that severed Kankuro's chakra strings.

Sakura took in a bated breath. If this guy knew their techniques, then he would be able to counter every one of their attacks.

She watched, torturing her bottom lip, as the three shinobi began to etch out a deadly dance of far-ranged attacks.

Her gaze shifted to the other battle. Another Anbu had been injured and was lying clutching his face, but so had the kunoichi. She was drenched in her own blood as her arm had nearly been wrenched from her shoulder. When Sakura moved in to heal her teammate, he told her hurriedly that she had been caught off-guard by a small genjutsu and had been hit by her own partner's weapon.

She watched the others fight the big man for a moment. His swings were slowing, and he wasn't making near as much noise. The kunai protruding from two places on his right thigh as well as the one hanging from his shoulder blade told her that he would succumb to poison in short order.

Well, it was a matter of time before that battle was won, but as she moved back to her position, she kept a wary ear in that direction. It would take nothing for the battle to turn against its seeming victors.

In her absence, Baki had been taken down by a large boulder. He lay pinned beneath it, unconscious. Sakura moved in to give him aid, but she was cut off by a wall of rock.

"Ah, ah, pretty little kunoichi, I'm not done playing yet," came a steely voice from the other side of the wall. The partition separated and let Sakura see a most dreadful sight. In her haste to get to Baki, she had not seen the turn of events in his and Kankuro's battle.

The enemy stood imposing over a prostrate Kankuro. He cradled both hands close to his chest, and Sakura could tell that they were broken. This guy had been able to get close enough to the puppet-nin to render his defenses useless. Well, anyone who had read a Bingo book would know that the Sand Siblings were long-range fighters, and that their taijutsu was shit compared to their ninjutsu. This guy wasn't an idiot after all.

He turned away from the injured Suna shinobi who he had been in the process of wounding further and focused on her. Sakura crouched into a defensive stance, reaching for her weapons pouch.

"So you would fight me too, medic?" His gilded brows rose marginally. "This should be fun." He stopped and eyed her. "You are rather fetching. Perhaps, I'll beat you in combat, then break you in other ways."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, why is it always rape with you assholes? Do you guys have some sort of rules for being worthless fucks that require you to humiliate women? Or do you all just have tiny dicks that get laughs from village girls and drive you for vengeance on any strong woman you meet?" She had moved toward him, fully intent on engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. _Her _taijutsu was nearly as strong as Rock Lee's, and she really just wanted to punch this jerk.

He had obviously studied her techniques as well, because he kept out of her range. That only proved to fuel her anger.

"Why the fuck do you want me dead, anyway? Do I even know you?" She stepped forward, and he stepped backward.

"No, you don't know me. Let's just say that your death will bring about certain...political...changes that are necessary."

"You're trying to strain the alliance between Leaf and Sand? But that would lead to war..." Kankuro gasped, wincing as he tried to stand. His mangled hands would prove him incapable of continuing to fight, and Sakura needed to tend to him soon if he were retain their use. She also needed to get to Baki.

"Politics, huh?" She regarded her enemy thoughtfully. "Never really cared much for politics." With that she rushed to charge him, tossing a few shuriken in his direction.

The blond man was ready for her. He used his ninjutsu to call stones from everywhere and bombarded her from both sky and earth. Boulders were flying in all directions. Sakura ran in a zig-zag pattern, dodging most of the rocks. What ones she couldn't elude, she crushed with her chakra-enhanced fists. She was getting closer, and she could see by the look in his pale blue eyes that he had not anticipated on her getting that close to him.

Fear was beginning to surface in her enemy's features when he locked his sky-colored gaze with her blazing green stare.

In a flurry of pink hair and flying chunks of earth, Sakura was coming. They both knew that he would not be able to withstand one solid hit from her chakra-laden fist. No one could. His fear turned to desperation as he began to form the hand signs for his last ninjutsu.

Sakura saw the shift in the man's features, and knew that he was about to pull out his most powerful weapon. More than likely it was similar to what he had already tossed at her, but she didn't want to risk being surprised. She needed to get to him and end this...now.

Just as the man was finishing up forming his seals, Sakura moved within striking range. She cocked her arm back for a gravity-defying punch, and... had to divert chakra to her feet to stop herself from colliding with someone's firm broad back. Dressed in a one-piece, summoning scrolls missing from their slings across his back, pointed ears at the top of his hood.

Kankuro had stepped in front of her.

She diffused her chakra and stepped around him only to be shown how close she had actually come to her enemy. She had ended up flush against Kankuro's back, while he had stepped bodily against the man. They looked like they were holding one another in a tight embrace.

That is, until Kankuro released the blond man, who slumped to the ground, kunai protruding from his belly.

"KANKURO, YOU MORON. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Sakura was livid. This guy had insulted her very being as both a woman and a kunoichi, and it was her right to kill him. And, here was Kankuro, taking her victory away from her.

The man gave her a pitiful attempt at his lopsided grin and winked, proffering his wounded hands. Blood oozed from the broken skin where the small bones of his finger protruded through the skin. It would be a miracle if he could still fight after this.

"I owed him for my hands." With that, he thumped gracelessly to the ground with a stunned medic wondering if she should laugh, cry, or kick his ass.


	16. Unlikely Assistance

**A/N: What is up yo!! I think I'm finally getting this fics to where I want it to be. Took long enough, huh? Anyways, hope you like this chapter. Oh, and I know that Baki is way weird in here, but Sakura needed a voice of reason to put her in her place and he just fit. Also, props again to _earthbender068_ for the idea about visiting Chiyo. I hadn't even considered it. Duh!**

**Oh, and I've found this new absolutely superb fic! _A Book Of Five Rings_ by _Sakura Haru_. It's a Kaks/Saku fic, and it's absolutely glorious!! I've been wanting to write a fic with those characters, but I just don't think I could capture my favorite silver-haired man appropriately. So, I read a lot of fics with this couple. This one is one of my faves!! I definitely suggest it.**

**Esethay aracterschay oday otnay elongbay otay emay!!**

Kankuro groaned softly as he tried to open his eyes and realized that the lids were just too damned heavy. He vaguely thought that there was a reason to open the eyes that only wanted to stay clamped shut and fully asleep. He was just too damned tired.

He fell back into a deep sleep.

He dreamed an awful dream.

Sakura was fighting a man who was nearly as pretty as she, with his long blond hair and summer blue eyes. She was throwing every bit of her insane strength into getting within striking distance. The puppet-master took in his surroundings and realized that he wanted to get to her but couldn't. Something was keeping him from helping her fight this man who wanted nothing more than to kill her.

She barrelled through a barrage of stones and rocks and was very near to her destination.

_No...Even if she gets close enough to land a punch, this guy would come back for more. He's too much for her. _Kankuro's mind swirled with the reality of watching Sakura fight her way to her own death. This guy had known their weaknesses, hence why he was currently keeping Sakura at bay. He knew she could take the advantage in an up-close fight. But she was determined and was relentlessly making ground toward him. No, this guy had an ace in the hole, and if she got close, he would use it on her.

Kankuro had to do _something_. He glanced down and noticed his mangled hands. Just then, he knew that he needed to get between the two. He had to take this guy out...now.

Sakura dove in for a final punch, just as the enemy performed his own defining method, but both were halted when Kankuro flickered in their midst. He felt the shift in Sakura's momentum and was nearly thrown off-kilter when she bumped into his back. That bump was all he needed to push his sharp, cold kunai into the enemy's gut.

Summer blue stared in utter shock, then shifted into a blank stare as the man's limbs became lax. He was dumped gracelessly onto the ground just as Kankuro heard the kunoichi's shriek.

He tried to compose himself before turning to her, plastering his own grin across his face. He even tried to wink before declaring that he owed the man for ruining his hands. Just to make his point, the middle Sand Sibling held his hands out in front of his body to show her the damage.

His vision blurred and darkened. Before sinking into cold oblivion, he saw a look on the medic's face that seemed as if she didn't know if she should laugh, cry, or kick his ass.

There, the dream ended.

With another groan and a turn of his head, Kankuro finally managed to open those lead-weights he called eyelids. The room was dark and cool. Not bright and overly-stuffy which seemed to be the preferred decor for hospital rooms. He moved his head to the side and saw that no one was near at hand. There were no fretting relatives nor a nurse to ask for a drink.

Ouch...did he really have no one who cared enough to watch over him while he slept?

The puppet shinobi decided that it hurt way too much to try to think about how lonely his life really was, so he opted to explore his body for injuries.

Well, the exploration lasted all of two seconds and ended when he realized he couldn't move his hands for the huge casts that wrapped around both arms. He was immobile from elbow to finger tip.

So, he hadn't been dreaming about getting his hands crushed by a random enemy. That had really happened. Shit.

Before Kankuro was able to start his spiral into self-deprecation and despair, the door into the room opened and a cheery voice called out a 'hello'.

Sakura. Her voice, though a little too happy, was such a sweet sound.

She carried with her a small tray that held a cup of some clearish-brown liquid and a bowl of some clearish-brown liquid with little squiggly pale things.

"Hey, I'm glad you're up! I sensed your chakra change, so decided to fetch you some nourishment!" The girl beamed, but he knew her well enough to know that this was the forced brightness of a veteran medic. He could see it in her unsmiling eyes how tired she was and how worried she continued to be. "How do you feel?"

"Well, a puppet-master with no hands...How should I feel?" He cast out disdainfully and immediately regretted it. Sakura was the reason why he still lived, and she had probably done what she could to heal his hands.

She eyed him coolly, hands moving to her hips. Fake cheer fell to the wayside, and anger sparked. "I saved your damned hands, idiot. You'll only be in the casts for about a week as a precaution, so you won't overexert your newly healed appendages." She moved close to adjust him into a sitting position and placed his tray onto his lap. Green eyes watched him closely gauging his reaction.

He turned his head, more out of anger over his stupidity than anything, and the girl's eyes softened as she smiled lightly. A genuine smile. She grabbed the cup of brownish liquid and held it aloft.

"I know you. As soon as I discharge you, you'll be out testing and surpassing your limits. This way, I can keep you from further injuring yourself." She drew the cup close to his mouth. "It's not very good, but it'll help with hydration."

Kankuro tossed her a glare and almost refused to drink from the proffered vessel. But, then again, it _was _Sakura offering. Not only had the head medic deigned to take care of his injuries personally, but she was so close he could smell the sweet scent of her body. There definitely was worse than being nursed back to health by the girl of your dreams.

"Ugh, what the hell is that supposed to be?" He gulped, trying to swallow the horrid liquid before his body reflexively spat it out. Sakura's brows furrowed.

"It's simple green tea. I know it's a little weak, as tea leaves are hard to find around here, but...it can't be that bad..." She raised the cup and sniffed, then pulled a face while pushing the 'tea' as far away from her as possible.

The medic turned her back quickly, trying to keep her patient from witnessing her disgust. Well, she knew what her next project was. She definitely needed to work on the hospital's choice of menu. Really, the tea was bad enough, but even she had to admit that the soup just looked gross.

Still, she had to try to get him to eat it.

"Here," she held up the bowl and dipped the spoon, "this will help restore your energy. Don't give me that look. You eat it, or I make you."

He ate, but not without a meaningful scowl covering his features.

She had to admit, though, that even with his grimace firmly in place, Kankuro was good-looking. Of course he was sans make-up, which was all the better for the kunoichi. Points, too, were awarded to her for the fact that she had chosen to spoon feed him herself instead of calling in a nurse. Not only did she owe it to him for taking out the bad-guy, but he was pretty easy on the eyes. Ther were worse things she could be doing with her time.

It had taken most of the three days they had been back in Suna for the top medic in Suna to decide that she wasn't really all that mad at him for stealing her kill. While the blond man had tried to kill her, he had come closer to stripping Kankuro of his livelihood. Seriously, what good was a puppet-nin who couldn't manipulate chakra strings with his hands. Sure, he could probably learn to use his feet, but then how would he walk?

It had been Baki who had pointed this out to her. Before returning to the village, Sakura had been able to see to the elder Sand shinobi's wounds. His actually hadn't been all that bad, and the boulder that had knocked him out had done little damage to his head. He hadn't even had a goose-egg, let alone a concussion. So, he had been very lucid on their return trip. The Anbu had pulled ahead of them in their haste to return their prisoners to the Kazekage so that he could glean any possible information before 'disposing' of their bodies. Thus, Baki had carried Kankuro on his back as the trio made their steady way to the village.

They had travelled as quickly as possible without jostling the unconscious man too much and had stopped often so that Sakura could administer first aid. Within days, they had made it back, and she had immediately set to healing her comrade's hands. She had hoped they weren't too far gone to save.

She hadn't been completely truthful when she had told him she had fixed his hands.

She had gotten lucky in being able to bring them back from the brink of complete destruction with minimal scarring. Hopefully, when he saw them, he wouldn't be too upset by the lines that the girl had been forced to leave. She was good, but she couldn't work miracles. Still, she had been upset after the final surgery and had gone out into the village to wander aimlessly. It wasn't very often that Sakura's abilities weren't enough, but this had been one of those cases. It bothered her terribly.

That was when she had found herself at Suna's memorial to fallen shinobi. A seemingly barren area hidden in the base of a canyon, only to be littered with the gravestones of men and women from the Village Hidden in the Sand who had died for their nation.

Upon realizing where she was, Sakura had been startled to be there. She really had no business in that place, but she had also felt it disrespectful to leave without a prayer. During her moment of silence was when she had felt another shinobi's chakra coming up behind her. She turned to see Baki with a small bouquet of autumn flowers.

She had looked at him questioningly.

"I always visit my fallen friends after returning from a mission. I believe that they watch over us and bless us, and that they deserve our thanks upon coming home alive and intact." It was actually a very profound sentiment. Sakura had not been able to help the snort of self-derision that followed. She realized that it had been audible and hurried to explain, lest the man take insult.

"I don't know if Kankuro would feel the same. I mean, he came back alive but injured so badly that he may not be able to continue as a shinobi. And it was all because I was too weak to take that bastard out."

Baki had watched her closely for a moment. Long enough for the girl to begin to feel angry at his scrutiny, but just as she had been about to rant about what the hell he was staring at, he spoke.

"Do you actually believe that tripe?" Ouch. Sakura had glanced at the man, anger completely forgotten.

"Huh?"

"Are you seriously that thick, girl? What the hell have those idiots in Leaf been telling you?" He had sat beside her, turning toward her bodily.

"Ummm...What?" The Hokage's student had had a feeling that she was completely missing something. Baki then sighed hugely and reached up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Everyone here, even those asses that you fired from the hospital, knows how capable of a medic and kunoichi you are. I know there was a lot of tension within your last team, and that you have serious inferiority issues to deal with because of that, but the people of the Sand are not as ignorant to greatness as those in Leaf apparently are. We all know that you try your hardest at any task you put yourself to, and that is all we expect of you." He had paused for a brief second, and when Sakura had tried to interrupt, he stopped her with a look that said he wasn't even near done. No wonder the Sand Siblings were so good at their work. Who wanted to be subjected to such bitingly true lectures on a daily basis?

"Yes, you were capable of taking down that enemy, but, like I said before, it was a matter of honor for Kankuro. That, and he really did owe the man for purposely destroying his most important utensils. I also think that Kankuro realized that you would be able to heal most of, if not all of his wounds." Sakura had scoffed at this, and Baki only raised a brow as he continued to talk over her. "But...you had to be alive and uninjured to do so. So, he stepped in and ended it."

Was it really that simple?

"But...I don't even know if he'll be able to use his hands to full capacity, and they're definitely no longer flawless. I couldn't keep them from scarring."

Baki had shaken his head, rustling the cloth that hung across the right side of his face obscuring his eye.

"You need a lesson in confidence, Haruno-san. He knows you did what you could for him, and that's all that matters."

Then, Baki had left her to ponder out her own self-reservations. That had been when she had looked closely at the stone and had seen a name that brought back startling memories.

Chiyo.

She had given her life for Gaara. She had taught everyone involved in that ordeal a valuable lesson. She had taught them to give all they had in their day-to-day lives and to realize that change was inevitable. She had sacrificed herself for the good of the future generation. The least Sakura could do was concede that she had done all she could for her teammate, and that she would need to be there for him as he recovered.

"Oi, Sakura-chan?" Kankuro's voice dragged her from her memories, and she looked up with a sparkling smile.

"Yes?"

"How come you're tending to me? Don't you have important administrative things to be doing?" That look of deep concentration was one that Sakura had never expected to find endearing, but it had begun to grow on her. Dark eyebrows knit in thought adorned a hard look in deep brown eyes that hinted at the depths of intellect that were carefully hidden behind crass flirtation.

"Well," she reached for the dishes that had held his bland dinner and began tidying up, "I owe you my life. Doubly. So, I just thought I'd make sure you were comfortable." Hopefully that was answer enough. She really didn't feel like going into the fact that she had been spending her evenings at the shinobi memorial speaking with Grandmother Chiyo while doing some soul-searching. She really, really didn't feel like going into the fact that she had developed a certain soft spot for her face-paint clad escort that had her thoroughly confused. And, the fact that he had gone into harm's way so readily on her behalf had her confused.

Silently she prayed that her answer would be enough. Thankfully it was. She sighed outwardly at his reply, but inwardly wholeheartedly agreed.

"I just think you can't get enough of seeing me out of my gear and almost naked."


	17. A Close Look Inside

**A/N: Hope Halloween found everyone well! I have another goody here for you, so hope you like. I think I'm priming up for a lemon soon. About time, right? Anyways, I think this is a relatively decent chapter. A lot of deep introspection on Sakura's part. Well, thanks to my readers and reviewers. If I had any candy left, I'd share. Enjoy.**

**I don't own the fun characters in this chapter, but the bitchy one's are all mine.**

Pulling Strings

A Close Look Inside

It had been about two weeks since their return from a mission that had nearly gone horribly wrong. But, in good old Sakura fashion, they had managed to pull themselves together, defeat the enemy, and limp their injured asses back to base with little permanent damage.

She would be taking his bandages off soon, and that idea weighed heavily on her. When he saw the scars left on his most precious of weapons, how would he react? Will he still retain control over the puppets? She worried over the outcome of his injuries every waking moment, and she even dreamed the worst when she slept. _When_ she slept, which wasn't often lately.

Sakura had found herself falling into a pattern, yet again. Some day she was going to have to own up to the fact that she was a creature of habit and routine and actually come up with a suitable way to satisfy that particular compulsion. But, until then, she would just stick with these haphazard cycles that she found herself dropping into.

This particular pattern was actually quite nice. Upon returning to Suna and taking on Kankuro's care personally, she had pawned off much of her work into the capable hands of Seido, the perpetually pale assistant. She would start off her day with much needed training, then she would spend the rest of her day in meetings with various patients, doctors, and the Kazekage. This was interspersed with longer and longer visits to the only patient that she was currently treating. All-in-all, she had taken on a rather sparse work-load, which was something that she knew the Hokage would approve of. That woman had always told Sakura that she worked too hard and took on too many patients. But the girl just couldn't help it. Nurturing was in her nature.

Yes, Tsunade-shishou would approve of her regimen. Well, except for one minute little detail. She had taken to spending several hours in the late afternoon in front of a grave.

After initially finding herself at Chiyo's grave and receiving wonderful advice from Baki, the medic had returned nightly. She didn't know why she returned, she just knew that she needed to. It was comforting to come to an old friend and discuss her fears. She understood Kakashi on a completely different level now. Although, visiting the dead is still not a good enough excuse for his perpetual tardiness, Sakura realized how easily one could lose track of time in such a place. More than once she had only noticed the time when she had found that she could no longer read Chiyo's grave-marker, and that she was shivering like madness due to the temperature drop that came when the sun set.

Still, the girl visited the grave nightly.

She talked freely here, though she knew she would not garner an advice. It felt good to just talk and get her pent up emotions off of her chest.

After sitting quietly for the first few days and just staring, Sakura had finally gotten up the nerve to talk to the old woman. First, all she could do was sob and apologize over and over. The next day, though she had found that she could speak more freely. She told the woman about Naruto and Sasuke, about Kakashi and Tsunade, about Suna and the Sand Siblings. From there, she turned toward deeper thoughts and eventually began pouring out all of her anger, frustration, and resentment toward those whom she had called friend and teammate. By this time, Sakura had felt awful for harboring these feelings, but as she spilled her thoughts to the silent stone with her friend's name etched on it, the girl felt a heavy weight being lifted. She knew that the negative emotions would not completely subside and that she would have to deal with them someday, but for now, it felt good to say them out loud.

A week after performing surgery on Kankuro's hands, Sakura had begun to like herself again.

But she still felt something missing.

Then, one day, when Sakura was had just finished her shift and was heading toward her spot before Chiyo's grave, she was nearly slapped in the face with her problem. Well, actually, she did get slapped in the face.

Cheek still stinging, surely glowing a bright red by now, and ear still ringing from the impact, the medic with the pink hair took a step back and glared up at the woman who had hit her.

"Can I help you...miss?" Her words were polite, her voice was calm, but her eyes sparked the color of malachite.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, clumsy me. I just didn't see you there." Saccharine voice that was obviously mocking. "You should probably think about attaching flashing signs on top of your head, so that those of us who are taller than three feet will know you're there."

"Yeah, it's easy to miss her even with that forehead..." This one wasn't so deceptively sweet, it was just downright nasty.

It took everything Sakura had not to pummel these two little twits with her bare hands. It wouldn't take much, she would have needed hardly any chakra to kill them on the spot. But, alas, she was still a visiting representative of her village, and it would not be good for a shinobi to destroy two civilians.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" The blond one who was standing to the side attempted to hide a very unladylike snort behind her hand, while the red-head who was towering over Sakura laughed mirthlessly. Suddenly she stopped and glowered down with a piercing green gaze that made Sakura want to laugh, herself. Was this a joke? Her own stare could scorch plantlife, did this bitch really think she could go toe to toe with someone trained by Tsunade, a Sannin from the Leaf Village, and survive.

"Give him back." There was venom there, and it was well placed, as if the Leaf kunoichi actually deservd it.

"Sorry?" She had no idea what this giant of a woman wanted, but she had places to go and dead people to confide in.

"Oh, right, you have no idea what I'm talking about," the red-head scoffed, rolling her eyes. She stepped closer to the younger woman, looking down at her. And seriously, she had to look down. Sakura nearly laughed at the thought that even Kakashi would have had to look up at the irate woman. Laughing in her face probably wouldn't help the matter, though. In answer to Sakura's blank look, the woman hissed a response.

"You've had Kankuro-sama all to yourself ever since you got here. He's ours, and we will not be beaten by a _foreigner_." The venom was back, and Sakura wasn't really sure if this conversation would stay civil for much longer. She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, which was difficult to do without elbowing the other woman in the chest. She managed, somehow.

"What, exactly is it that you think is going on between us." She knew the answer, but wondered what sort of gossip was going around.

The blond snickered behind her hand again. The red-head was so close to shooting steam out of her ears, it was comical.

"Don't give me that, you little tramp. We've seen him when he's around you. He acts differently, talks differently. And he ignores us." A well manicured, blood-red nail came very close to poking the Hokage's apprentice in the face. "What kind of Leaf-witch spell have you put on him?" Was this woman serious?! Leaf-witch?!

"Ummm...I don't really understand. I'm a shinobi, not a witch. And Kankuro's my escort, since I'm a visitor and it's common courtesy to provide one." And it would be stupid of the Kazekage not to have _any _foreign shinobi under surveillance.

"Yeah, right." The red-head moved back a step, crossing her arms. "Well, I suggest you get a new escort soon. That is, if you don't want something terrible to happen. There are more of us, and he's ours."

With that, the two shouldered past her and were on their way.

Sakura turned and watched them walk away. After a few minutes, she glanced into the window she was next to and noticed a few stares directed toward her. There were several, and they were all angry.

_Are they seriously jealous of me?_

_I would have to say yes. Not that I really blame _them. Her Inner self had primed herself for a fight, and now she was going to take it out on the real thing.

_What does that mean? There's nothing going on between us. Well, nothing that should threaten them, anyways._

_You guys do spend a lot of time together, so of course rumors are going to fly. But they are right, he is different around us. _Inner Sakura crossed her arms and glared at herself.

_I don't understand. He's still just as arrogant and perverted as ever._

_Yeah, and considerate and gentle and not nearly as hot-headed. Come on girl. He's into you, has been for a while. Why can't you open your eyes? _The Inner was very near to punching the real Sakura's brain to see if it would smarten her up.

_You must be imagining that. Anyways, I'm not the kind of girl he's usually interested in. I mean, did you see those two? I'm not elegant, rich, or beautiful like those women._

_Yeah, and how many of them has he screwed then ditched. _Again, with the 'I'm not good enough'. This was seriously getting old. _Fine, if you won't admit that he could possibly like you, then why don't you take advantage of his slutty nature and at least get laid. You're killing me with all of these pensive, brooding thoughts._

_I'm not any more broody than normal. What makes you think I need a man?_

_Considering that you usually find yourself a way to relieve the post-mission jitters with a male body warming your bed, but haven't done so this time, I would say that that is why you haven't been able to concentrate lately. Plus, his reputation as a playboy is by far more prominent than your own fledgling reputation back home as a man-eater. Just jump his bones and you'll feel better._

Sakura looked up to notice that she had made her way to Chiyos' grave. She used this fact to shut off Inner Sakura's rant and sat in her usual place in front of the stone. She sat there for a very long time before speaking to her friend's spirit.

"Chiyo, I'm afraid. I think I'm falling in love again, but I don't want to. I wasn't worthy of Sasuke's love, and I'm afraid that I'll never be worthy of anyone's affection. What should I do?" She whispered her confession as a crystal tear streamed its way down her cheek.

As if in response to her question, a warm breeze found its way to her form and encircled her against the evening chill. The tear was dried as if brushed away by a friendly hand.

The pink-haired girl suddenly felt enveloped in warmth and reassurance. Baki had said she needed a lesson in confidence, and this unseasonal warm breeze spoke the same words. She would take that advice, and she knew exactly how.

She would tell Kankuro about the risk the injuries had posed to his hands. Then, she would find out how he felt about her, and possibly confide her feelings toward him.

Thus, the next day, Sakura was a huge ball of nerves as she wandered her way into the puppet ninja's hospital room. When she saw him, she balked and nearly dropped the tray she carried.

Kankuro was at her side instantly trying to help her steady the tray that carried his lunch, but he almost caused her to drop it again. After an unsteady trip across the room, Sakura set the tray down on the table next to his bed.

She turned to where he had gone back to standing by the window, looking out into the full-blown Suna winter. In Konoha, it would be cold all day and even colder at night. The sky would be gray and tempestuous with the constant threat of snowfall. Here, the days were cooler, bearable compared to Suna's summer days, but the nights were so cold that few ventured out after dark. All-in-all, it was like early autumn in her homeland.

She could see the frustration etched in the tense muscle of his jaw, and she knew that he was angry over the fact that he was still casted on both hands. She really didn't want to add her burden to his, but she also knew he needed to know.

"Hey, why don't we go outside for a while today?" Her question was soft and light, and he turned to her with a bewildered look. It was unlike Sakura to give permission to leave the hospital without being completely healed. "I mean, you've been cooped up in here for weeks. You've got to be going crazy."

He nodded, as if afraid that speaking would cause her to realize what she had just said.

"So...is there anywhere, in particular that you'd like to go?" He nodded, not having to think about his response.

"Actually, there's a place that I'd like to show you." His voice was so smooth that it nearly melted her resolve. Either that, or she was just really trying to find a reason not to tell him what was on her mind.

"Great, let's go then." She held the door open for her patient, and made her way to the nurse's station to sign him out. Then, after telling the girl on duty that if she needed anything to contact Seido in his office, the head medic and her charge were off.


	18. Shake the Sugar Tree

**A/N: Okay, so I had this written last night, but something happened with my computer and it cut off the lemon part. Go figure, so I had to rewrite it. So, if, as you're reading this, you think that the love scene is sudden, intense, and kind of awkward and weird... It's supposed to be. My goal here is to show that the two realize they have feelings for each other, but that they don't know exactly what those feelings are. Then, you throw in a bit of hero worship, pity, self-loathing, angst, and just plain horniness, and you get a dirty little lemon under an apple tree... Enjoy.**

**Yes, there is sex in this scene. If you can't handle it, don't read it.**

**These characters do not belong to me. If they did, the manga would be hentai.**

Pulling Strings

Shake the Sugar Tree

Sakura looked around the room awestruck. The building had startled her as they approached, after walking nearly an hour to the very outskirts of the village. This was the Siblings' ancestral home, and it was beautiful. Of course, it didn't match the traditional style buildings that she was used to in Konoha, but it was simple, elegant, and _sprawling_.

The manor house, itself, was only one-storey, but it was expansive. Throughout, screens were opened to the warm, winter breeze, and only blowing curtains separated the rooms both from one another and the elements.

Sakura had gasped upon seeing it. Kankuro had chuckled at her response to the fact that his family owned such a home. His father had been Kazekage, after all. And so, too, was his brother.

Standing in the foyer, as they removed their shoes, Sakura could not help but take in her surroundings. The inside was as elegant as the outside. And it shone with simplicity. Something that Sakura had not expected, but upon further thinking, she realized that that she should have. As haughty, boisterous, and overpowering as Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were as ninja, they were actually quite the opposite as individuals. All three had rather simple wants and desires.

But, Sakura only knew this from her recent close interactions with the brothers and her budding friendship in Konoha with the sister. Others would take one look at their home and wonder if they had fallen into some sort of weird time warp.

A household servant met them as they entered the receiving room, and offered to bring them drinks. As Kankuro politely refused, explaining that he was going to show Haruno-san to the gardens, Sakuro couldn't help but notice the servant's actions toward his master. Sure, in the village and even in other parts of Wind Country and as far as in Konoha, Kankuro elicited a certain amount of respect and fear by sheer fact that he was Gaara's brother. That, and his own reputation as a ruthless poison assassin. But this servant treated the puppet-nin with a sort of quiet respect and fondness. At the mention of the gardens, the man's eyes lit with light amusement.

Sakura couldn't help but ask about it as they made their way to the rear of the house.

Kankuro thought on it for a moment as he walked with hands dangling at his sides.

"Well, since Gaara became Kazekage, the three of us took up residence in the tower, so we don't spend much time here. Then, Temari took that teaching position in Konoha, and I usually don't do many basic missions anymore... I guess that just left me with the most free time, so periodically I come out here to check up on the house and everything..." His head lowered as if he were embarrassed.

"Wow, I never expected you to be the sentimental type," Sakura chided softly bumping him with her shoulder. "That still doesn't explain Machi's horrible attempt at hiding his laughter when you mentioned the gardens..." Was he blushing?

"Ummm..." He looked at the ground but continued walking, "the gardens are kind of my...haven, of sorts. And I usually don't let anyone see them." Sakura was perplexed by this point.

"Haven, what's that mean?"

"I kind of took up gardening as a hobby. You know as a way to blow off steam." He mumbled to the ground. Sakura couldn't help her snort as she tried to rein in her laughter.

"You...gardening...a hobby...blow off steam? I thought that's why you whore around?" Shit. She looked up at him, knowing she had probably just gone too far. Fortunately, Kankuro had a sense of humor about his fondness for the ladies.

"Well, you would think, right?" He looked at her startled expression, relishing in the fact that she had not been able to cover her regret for her words.

It was at that moment that the two arrived at the opening that led to the garden area. Once again, the medic was dumbstruck. The gardens weren't really gardens at all. It was more a small orchard with several apple trees in different levels of growth. Some were just blossoming, and some were laden with the ripest most beautiful fruit she had ever seen. Bright veridian eyes turned questioningly toward him.

"I developed an irrigation system that draws water from the underground river that passes below Suna," he shrugged as if her reaction didn't matter. Inside, he was cheering. "I've been able to use chakra to keep them growing year-round, but I constantly have to transplant new ones as the old ones are forced to yield faster and more often than usual..." His explanation faded as the girl wandered through the grove taking in the beauty of the fully blossomed trees that were growing green right here in the middle of the desert winter.

"It's beautiful..." Her voice was a hushed whisper as if she were afraid to disturb the magic of the place. Sakura continued to amble her way through the trees, the cool grass beneath them feeling good on her bare feet. Not only had he grown the trees and the grass, but he had also grown several small flower gardens. The girl stopped at one that was over-run with pink chrysanthemums. She stood gazing at the blooms that matched the color of her own hair.

"They were my mother's favorite." So, he _was_ the sentimental type. His voice was deep and calm, as if all of the pressures of the world had been released in this place. Sakura's burden weighed heavily on her then, and she did not want to ruin this place with her news. But he needed to know. She turned to see Kankuro sitting beneath the largest apple tree she had ever seen. The tree's trunk was wide enough for the two of them to sit side by side against it, and she did just that.

He had his eyes closed, enjoying the peace of his little slice of heaven. His face, though pale from his extended stay in the hospital was smooth and calm. His hair had grown over the past weeks, and his red-brown locks fell into his eyes. The breadth of Kankuro's chest and shoulders was steady and inviting beneath the black t-shirt he wore, and his legs were covered in dark pants, but she knew the power they carried even restfully stretched before him. All in all Kankuro of the Sand was a splendid sight before Sakura's eyes, the only thing ruining the picture was the casts that covered his hands, rendering his true power useless. All who knew the man, were aware the he carried his abilities in his hands and arms, and she was equally aware that he may never be able to use them as easily as before.

"Tell me." The words were simple, but they carried so much meaning. They shocked Sakura to her core. He had not even opened his eyes, but the medic in her had felt the tremor in his chakra. Kankuro knew what she wanted to talk to him about, but he feared what she would say.

"Well...ummm..." Sakura's mind worked as she tried to find the words she needed to speak. She had rehearsed this speech a dozen times, but now her mind failed her. So, she blurted the first thing that she thought. "I really like you."

This had not been what he had been expecting. A confession, yeah, but not like this. He had expected her to confess to not being able to save his hands. Kankuro's eyes shot open, just as Sakura's hands shot to cover her mouth.

"What?" He was really confused. Wasn't she pissed at him about taking her kill away and saving her ass? She had given him the cold shoulder for so long, he really didn't think he had heard right.

Tears glistened in the corners of Sakura's eyes, and by how huge and round they were, the puppet-nin knew that he had heard right. He could also tell that she had not meant to say what she had. They just stared at one another for a few minutes before the girl finally recomposed herself.

"What I mean, is that I performed a difficult surgery on yoru hands, in an attempt to re-fuse all of the damaged bone and tissue. I am not one hundred percent sure that I could fix them completely." Her voice had begun in its usual strong medic tone, but had ended in a near whisper.

Kankuro sat motionless, looking unfocused at the flowers in front of them.

"So, what are my chances, doc?"

"Worst case scenario...The surgery didn't work and you won't be able to use your hands. Best case...A few scars." She shrugged. "I'm hoping for a bit in between. I'll be content with most mobility, if anything." She felt him flinch at her words, taking them to mean that she expected the worst. Which she did, but he didn't need to know that.

Sakura watched Kankuro again for a few minutes. She felt compelled to comfort him in a way that she had never felt before. Her job as a medic did not entail much reassurance and soothing, that's what nurses were for, but she felt her compassionate nature take hold right then. Yes, it was in her blood to nurture, but for Sakura that had always meant healing physical wounds, not emotional ones. Lord knew, she couldn't even heal her own, let alone another person's.

And, now, this man had relied on her to give him back his livelihood, and she had failed. And to make matters worse, this wasn't just any patient that she could hand off to a nurse for a few kind words. This was Kankuro, her escort, friend,...the man she had begun to develop feelings for. How was she supposed to help him?

Sakura turned to him and leaned in, resting a hand on one of his casted arms. She used her other hand to brush the long hair from his eyes, so that she could look into the pools of darkness that shone in the afternoon light.

She reached up to kiss his cheek, whispering, "I'm so sorry."

At that moment, Kankuro broke.

"Don't take pity on me!" He moved his arm to throw the girl's hand from his cast. This was the last thing he wanted from _her_. The woman who had helped teach Gaara what it meant to care about others, the woman who had pulled Kankuro himself from the brink of death then defeated the creature he had nearly lost his life to, the woman who had bore witness to resurrection of his brother, the woman who had loved a traitor to the point of sacrificing everything to rescue him. Haruno Sakura was the epitome of strength and love in his eyes, and she would never know how _great _she truly was. And, now, she was offering her pity to him. It was too much to bear. Anger and resentment boiled inside the Kazekage's brother to where he had no control over his words.

"I would rather you be pissed at me over something stupid and petty, than for you, of all people, to feel sorry for me. I don't deserve it. Sakura, you don't realize how awesome and brilliant you are. For Christ's sake, you stared down my brother in his half-transformed state, and came out with the ability to be his friend. But, you're too caught up in your own self-loathing, the origins of which I can't even begin to understand, to even see how much others care about you." He paused, chest heaving, not really sure what he was trying to tell her. He glanced down at his hands. "How much _I_ care..."

The girl had been watching him, completely awestruck. Did he really think that way about her? He had said before that she was a legend in Suna, and that he owed her for saving his life, but this was completely different. She had never seen Kankuro so angry and _passionate_. Cocky, arrogant, and aloof, but never passionate. Not even when it came to protecting his family or his village, had he spoken in such a way.

A spark of desire shook Sakura to her center.

When Kankuro finished his speech, and his words trailed off, the woman almost missed his last words.

"What was that?" She needed to be sure that she had heard right.

He looked at her, crooked grin creeping into place. The spark of desire grew, and Sakura's heart fluttered a little at that smirk. Was this how other women felt when confronted with this man when all his charm was in full effect?

"I said I care about you, Sakura. I have fore a while now." His gaze shifted to his hands, and his grin subsided just a bit. "And if I could use my hands, I would drag you into my lap and show you just how much I care."

Sakura leaned back. Was she hallucinating? Kankuro had just told her that he wanted her, and she knew by her body's reaction to his words, that she felt the same way. But was this the right time? He was obviously grieving over his hands, but did that really matter? One look into the man's dark eyes melted her resolve, and Sakura found herself moving into his lap, enjoying the look of surprise he offered.

"Well, let me help you with that, then."

He eyed her closely as she settled into his lap, legs straddling his hips so that she could face him. He moved his heavy limbs to where she had room to maneuver, but he still regarded her warily. Before he could ask what was going on, she looked up and he was confronted with the darkest depths of forest green he had ever seen. And her eyes shone with a brilliance that spoke volumes of her desire.

Then she _kissed_ him.

This kiss should have been slow and exploratory, but was nothing of the sort. Her mouth invaded his with a fervor that bordered on wild. Kankuro had no chance in the world to take over the situation; all he could do was close his eyes and enjoy the tongue that was plundering his. This was quite different than what he was used to. Of course, he was always in charge of his little interactions with the opposite sex, and he was definitely a slow and languorous kisser, let alone lover. He had never allowed a woman to take control like this.

Not that he really had a choice right now.

Not that he really minded all that much.

Sakura, in her ferocity, had surely bruised both of their lips by sheer pressure, as well as scraping teeth. But, now, she wasn't only kissing him, she was exploring him. Her hands were traveling from his casts, up his arms, to across his shoulders. She would even swoop down and run her hands across his chest and stomach in a feverish pattern. The girl was all over the place.

And he could do anything to slow her down.

Not that he really wanted to.

Before Kankuro knew it, Sakura had stopped assaulting his mouth and had moved to laying hot kisses along his jawline and down his neck. He took his chance and wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close, so that he could plant his own hot trail across her cheek to her ear. The squeak she let out when he nipped the lobe was glorious, and he did it again just to hear her gasp. When he nipped harder, her body shivered involuntarily. So she liked a little bit of pain mixed with her pleasure, huh? And like any man would, Kankuro locked that little nugget of info away for future use.

Suddenly, Sakura pushed back from where she had been lavishing her way across his neck. Hence, he was disappointingly pulled from where he was teasing her flesh into a nice little hickey. He gave her an uncertain look, but was only greeted with a muss-haired, hazy-eyed, smirk. Oh, this girl was good. She had managed to work herself into a frenzy sitting on his lap, and he had barely touched her.

The smirk grew wider, and became positively devilish as she grasped the zipper of her top. Kankuro's grin matched hers as he watched her pull the zipper open in one fell swoop. His grin widened when he saw that she had foregone her usual chest wraps. Beautiful.

He didn't get much of a chance to take in her body. All he got to see was that her skin beneath the clothing was pale and milky, and that her nipples were a coral color, only a shade darker than her hair. It was at that point of realization that the girl gripped both hands in his hair and pulled him into her chest. Reflexively, he tightened his arms around her body, causing her back to arch splendidly.

The soft skin of her breasts tasted like heaven. He could smell Sakura's fragrance; a mixture of ginger and honey. He had never known that she wore perfume, but why did her skin taste just like it smelled? It was as if that scent was natural to her body, and not sprayed on. Oh well, she tasted divine.

He nudged and licked around the flesh of her breasts until he was able to get his mouth around a nipple and smirked against the skin when she let out a satisfied sigh. Not being able to use his hands, Kankuro made do with shifting her body from side to side so that he had access to the pink buds that tipped both mounds.

The sounds she was making were excruciating, causing him to harden with each whimper and sigh. He knew she could feel his length pressing against her, and rocked his hips forward just to let her know for sure how turned on he was. The girl's head tilted down with a bit of a startled look before the smirk returned. Dammit, that smirk almost rivaled his own, and he knew hers was way sexier than his could ever be.

As if to taunt him, Sakura rolled her hips against his, rubbing herself along the erect length that had begun to ache. Both groaned at the friction, and viridian glinted as she repeated her motions. In response, Kankuro bit into the skin closest to his mouth. She let out a sharp cry at the feeling of his canine digging into her nipple, but he knew just how much she liked it by the intense heat that radiated from her core. He nipped again and she brought her head down so that she was on a level with him. There, she held his gaze for a long while.

The girl's eyes glinted again, but she stood up from his lap.

Kankuro looked up at her, eyes dazed, wondering what she was doing.

Sakura did her best impression of that damned arrogant lop-sided grin before she bent at the waist just enough to slide her shorts from her hips. She didn't remove the medic skirt, but let her black shorts and panties fall to the ground.

When she looked back at the puppet-master, she could have laughed. He was still looking at her, eyes half-lidded, but his features were shaped into an expression of complete wonder. When she knelt beside him and reached for the front of his pants, fully intent on releasing the beast that had sprung to life, he flinched.

The medic found herself glancing up into the most beautiful shade of brown she had ever seen, made all the more radiant by his strengthening desire and lust.

For her.

Not those floozies she had run into on the street. Not some random chick at a bar. He wanted Haruno Sakura, and she wanted him too. She kissed him again. This time, it was slower, hotter, sweeter, as she tried to tell him that she wanted this as much as she hoped he did.

That kiss seared Kankuro's mind. He couldn't think anymore. He didn't care if Sakura was only doing this out of pity, or if she was just caught up in the lust of the moment. All he knew was that she was there with _him_, not Sasuke, not Kakashi, not Gaara. Right now, she wanted Kankuro of the Sand, and no one else.

He let his body relax as she kissed him, and she knew that he had relented. So, without breaking their lip-lock, she untied the strings on his pants and released the erection that had been tenting said pants for some time.

She kissed him as she stroked him, and she stroked him as she kissed him. Kankuro was beyond caring that he had no control over the situation, and he allowed her to do as she wished with his body. The girl worked him with hand and mouth until he was grunting under her ministrations.

All-too-soon, she stopped. The brunette peeked and eye open only to be presented with the curvy round flesh of Sakura's chest. And then he felt her heat as she straddled him. She was already radiating the power of a small sun, and she was only just hovering over him.

With an alarmingly soft smile, Sakura rested her knees on the ground on either side of Kankuro's hips and gripped his erection in her hand. She positioned herself over him, and waited to see if he was ready.

Without word or sound, Kankuro answered her with a swift thrust of his hips. With that one quick motion, he buried himself inside of Sakura's melting body, and he felt her quiver all around him. It was all she needed to know that he wanted this, too.

She took control. Her body rocked against his, slowly and softly at first, then the rocking escalated into something that soon turned wild and thrashing. She rocked him with a fierce intensity that had his back pressing sharply into the bark of the tree on which he leaned. All he could do was wrap his casted arms around her body, holding her close as she rocked his world.

Pink hair flew as she tossed her head with each thrust, and he met her stride for stride. Moving up as she pushed down. He pulled her as close as possible, while bending his head to once again lavish her breasts and finish the love bites he had started.

One particularly hard stroke from her startled him, and he accidentally bit down harder than intended. The low moan she elicited, almost a growl, was accompanied by a wave of hot moisture that dripped down his length.

"SHIT!" Sakura screeched. And he knew he had her.

Another hard bite was all it took to have Sakura careening over the edge of her desire. That last sharp bite caused her to bear down hard, and she felt Kankuro _touch_ something inside of her. She saw a blaze of light, and her world shattered to pieces.

Kankuro heard it in the low moan that pitched into a lengthy wail, he felt it in the tension of her body. The tight heat that he was buried in, gripped him with all the power of a vice, and her muscles flexed around him.

As her body went limp, he took charge and pulled her close, pumping up into her body, carrying her through the intensity of her orgasm. A few more stokes into the furnace of her core, and he too was delivered into oblivion.

The two took some time catching their breaths after their lovemaking. Sakura's heart pounded with a ferocity she had never felt. Much like the orgasm she had just endured. She wasn't sure what was going on between them, but things had just changed.

The girl rested her head against his as their breathing regulated. They sat like this for some time, eyes closed, just listening to one another. There was no awkwardness, which, he was sure should be there. After a long moment, she shifted and moved off of his lap. He kept his eyes closed, giving her privacy as she redressed. He felt her warm touch as she adjusted him and retied his pants.

He took the time to ponder what had just happened. They had just had a romp that could rival a scene from the Icha Icha books. It had been sudden, intense, and fulfilling. But, it hadn't been at all awkward, which should have been expected, right?

The girl settled herself next to him against the tree, and he smiled as he heard her bite into an apple. They sat like that for some time, he reveling in his thoughts, she reveling in her fruit.

"So, do you really like me, or was that just a ploy to get into my pants?" He cracked an eye open, and gave a smirk was was nearly as roguish as it was goofy.

Sakura chewed on her chunk of apple thoughtfully, taking in the sight of a charmingly disheveled puppet-nin. After a few chews, she swallowed and answered as sweetly as possible. Batting eyelashes and all.

"I'll never tell."


	19. Shattered

**A/N: On to the next chapter. And just for the sake of those who don't know, I absolutely loathe Sasuke. Especially with the recent developments in the manga. He has had so many chances to do the right thing, and he never does. So poohey one him!!! Anyways, that's just a little heads up to those Sasuke fans out there. In my fics, he's either gay, dead, or not important. Just remember that. Thanks for all of the great reviews, and thanks for not attacking me over the weird lemon in the last chapter. Hope you all like this one!**

**I do not own these characters, especially not any named Uchiha.**

**Oh, and how did you guys like the little throw-back to 'Forced Hand" dealing with Kankuro's gardening? Thought you might like it...**

Pulling Strings

Shattered

Gaara sat at his desk perusing the documents that littered it. He was normally a very neat worker, but not today. Today, he was distracted. He did his best to stay focused, but nothing he did could keep his mind where it needed to be. He had even tried to think about Matsuri in order to steer his thoughts away from their preoccupation. Nothing worked.

Something had happened between his top medic and his brother.

It had taken him a couple of days to see it, considering that he had rarely seen the two while Kankuro was interred at the hospital. However, the day the casts had been removed, Gaara had noticed something going on between the two. Something unspoken and profound.

Kankuro had been sitting patiently on the exam table, while Sakura had peeled away layer after layer of plaster-hardened gauze. The girl had done so slowly, reluctantly. But every time she had ventured a peek at the patient, he had urged her on with a wink or a smile.

The Kazekage's older brother had always been quick to laugh and flirt, but not act reassuringly. Nor, was he patient in the slightest. And, for as long as Gaara had known Konoha's feistiest kunoichi, he had never seen her so reluctant in her actions. Yes, hesitant when it came to her own shinobi abilities, but not when it came to her powers to heal.

Then, the casts had come off, and Kankuro had raised his hands high in the air with an excited 'whoop'. Sakura had given him a soft, yes soft, chastisement for getting over-excited and had told him to work each finger in a series of exercises. After that, she had had him perform a few light chakra techniques in order to gauge his ability to use his ninjutsu. All in all, it had been time consuming and grueling, and Gaara had been bored.

That was until he had noticed the interaction between the other two shinobi. Sakura would touch Kankuro on the arm or shoulder, and her hand would linger a little longer than necessary. And when Kankuro had looked at her, his gaze would soften just enough to be perceptible to his brother. Gaara had been immediately confused and intrigued. Just what was going on here? The last he had known, the two were fighting. Well, Sakura had been angry about something, and Kankuro had been ignoring her anger, only for said anger to rise enough to cause him bodily harm.

Now, they were being careful with one another. Not awkward, but careful.

Within a few days of having his casts off, Kankuro had insisted on resuming his duties. Especially that of escort to the visiting medic. She had been adamant about him taking his time to relearn the use of his hands, but he had been more adamant in the fact that all that was left of his injuries were a few tiny scars interspersed across his flesh. The girl had nearly gone into a tirade over his defiance, but, yet again something had happened to calm her to where she had given him the okay to return to active duty.

When Gaara had asked how he had talked the hard-nosed kunoichi down from her diagnosis of no work for the time being, the puppet-master had merely shrugged and mumbled something about 'a well-placed chakra string and her chakra-laden fist going through the wall next to his head'.

Once Kankuro had returned to work as her escort, the girl had seemed to lighten her mood drastically. She had been just a little brighter at their meetings, thus taking his necessary budget cuts when the hospital was concerned with a little more grace than anticipated. It had even been rumored that the girl could be heard singing in the halls of her sanctuary, and that she would sit and just talk to her patients for hours on end.

Kankuro had even refrained from returning to enjoying multiple bed partners. This, of all things, had been most shocking and alarming to Gaara. The fact that Suna's very own playboy had forsworn his old ways, was quite disturbing. That, and the fact that he now made very few perverted jokes toward the women around him, had almost been enough to give Gaara nightmares. But no, the nightmares came when Sakura had taken one of Kankuro's few perverted comments with little anger, and she had even returned with her own comment.

What could have possibly changed Sakura to the point to where she acted more gently and had a sense of humor? Hell, what could have caused Kankuro to be more resigned and respectful?

Thus, the dilemma that kept Gaara from working. Of course, it didn't help that Kankuro was currently sitting in his office, using one hand to eat a juicy red apple, while using the other hand to attach chakra strings to various small objects and propel them around the room in a dance that resembled menial office work. He had a pen straighten a stack of files, while an eraser sifted through another stack in the guise of sorting the stack. This didn't help at all, since Gaara was already at wits end and had basically torn the whole office to shreds in his frustration.

Kankuro was oblivious to the problems he was causing his younger brother.

Instead, he enjoyed his apple with a little grin as he remembered listening to Sakura munch on her own after their little romp under the apple tree. Nothing had happened after that. Well, except when he had convinced her that he could use his chakra strings with no problems. All it had taken was a string attached to the zipper of her top and the few seconds it took to lower said zipper without her realizing. Once the girl had noticed that she was feeling a bit of a draft across her exposed breasts, she had launched a fist at his head. He had barely dodged the fist but had not been able to dodge the searing glare being shot in his direction.

The spark had not been all anger, though. He had seen the desire, and she knew it.

However, neither acted on their growing attraction. He kept his distance and tried to be polite, and he could tell that she tried to do the same. It wasn't difficult, either. They were more comfortable around one another, and could even have conversations without him pissing her off. Well, most of the time. One could say that they had even become friends.

And that was enough. For now.

The best thing of all was Gaara's reaction to their new relationship. He knew their dynamic had changed, but he just couldn't grasp why or how. It was actually very amusing to watch his frustration. Kankuro just hoped that, in trying to figure out the chemistry between his brother and the medic, Gaara would realize that there was something between himself and Matsuri. One could hope, anyway.

The two were plucked from their perspective thoughts when there came a sharp knock at the door. At Gaara's grunt, the door opened and in came a messenger from Konoha.

Kankuro eyed the messenger thoughtfully. He had thought maybe there was news from Temari, but knew otherwise. This particular messenger was attired in the uniform of Konoha's Anbu, bird-mask and all. This message must be extremely important. Gaara accepted the man's scroll and moved to open it when the man spoke.

"If you don't mind, Kazekage-sama, I have an ugent message for Haruno Sakura." Gara nodded and told the man where to find her. Then, with a quick bow, the man was gone.

Kankuro watched as the light teal color of his brother's eyes darkened as he read. The message was rather long, so perhaps it wasn't as major as they both had thought.

"So..." The suspense was killing him, and the brunette found himself pushing his apple and the other objects he had been toying with away. The lines of a frown had creased his brother's forehead. Okay, so it was bad, after all.

"Well, it seems that Uchiha Sasuke has been killed. Apparently, he killed his brother, Itachi, but he was injured severely and died shortly after. Kakashi and Naruto were the ones who..."

At that moment, Gaara turned and realized that he was talking to nothing. The only thing that attested to his brother's recent presence was the puff of smoke he had left when performing a transportation technique.

Gaara shrugged and thought that maybe now he could get some work done. He continued to skim the Hokage's letter, learning the particulars of the deaths of the last Uchihas. He was happy to find that his sister would be returning for a visit soon. Well, this message hadn't been completely upsetting, just somewhat.

Then, he heard the enraged cry of some animal coming from the direction of the hospital. What could that have been? Poor thing.

Kankuro popped into Sakura's office just as she was beginning to read the letter from Konoha. The village's Anbu looked up startled, but relaxed upon noticing that it was the Kazekage's brother.

The small office was crowded. Seido and a few of the nurses had crowded in, wanting to hear of news from Konoha. Add in Sakura's guard, the Leaf Anbu, and Kankuro and you get a recipe for disaster, considering what information that scroll had to hold. Sakura's body went rigid and her fists clenched the scroll into a crumpled mess before letting it drop to the floor.

She looked to Kankuro with tears in her eyes, as Seido retrieved the note and began skimming it.

"I-I have to go home." Her voice was small and sad.

Her village's Anbu shook his head and said, "Sorry, Haruno-san, but the Hokage has ordered that you not come home. She thinks you will better serve if you stay here."

At these words, the girl whirled in the direction of the man. His hands flew up in an attempt to fend off an attack, obviously he knew her reputation for easily flying off the handle.

Kankuro could see the rage build in the girl's body as it began to shake. Her fists were balls of building chakra, and he knew she was about to come completely unhinged. He grabbed her close, knowing that she was boiling to a point of anger in which she would not be able to discern how much damage she would do.

He held her tight with one arm while performing the signs for a transportation technique. He had to get her out of there. With a cry of utter despair falling from the medic, the two disappeared.

Suddenly, everyone was left looking at an empty space that had previously been taken up by Sakura and Kankuro. The nurses, seeing that the show was over, went on to go about their business. The Leaf Anbu and Seido, the two remaining shinobi, gave one another wary looks. They had been able to feel the intensity of the girl's chakra, and both knew that Kankuro had probably just saved their lives at the risk of his own. With the amount of pressure radiating from that girl, her chakra would have exploded with a force that could have taken the entire hospital down. Seido just hoped that the two would survive what was about to happen.

When Kankuro and Sakura remanifested, they were in the middle of the training field. It was the safest place he could think to take her, and thankfully no one was there at the moment.

He could still feel the girl's rage building, and he knew she was still building chakra into her hands. All he could do was step back to a safe distance and watch. He hoped she wouldn't destroy herself.

When Kankuro released her, she whirled to where she thought he would have been, intent on letting him have a piece of her mind about grabbing her without her permission. He wasn't there. He had moved to a safe distance away from her fists. Ooooh, that just pissed her off even more, knowing that he had anticipated her so well.

She could feel the chakra in her hands rising to volatile momentum, and the reason suddenly crashed down on her like a tidal wave.

Sasuke. Sasuke was dead.

With another anguished wail, the girl released her pent up sadness, anger, and chakra with a hard punch to the ground. She would have loved to take her anger out on someone. Maybe the bar-skanks that had confronted her a week or so ago. Maybe Naruto for not being able to save Sasuke. Maybe Tsunade-shishou for not letting her come home. But, none of them were there, so she took her pain out on the ground itself.

She could feel the intensity of her emotions as they poured out of her fists into the ground, creating giant craters that could swallow her whole. The pain just kept coming, and so did the bitter tears of her failure to save her teammate. So, too, did her broken sobs as she kept punching the ground.

All Kankuro could do was watch as the woman he loved fell to pieces over another man. What was surprising was that he wasn't upset or even bitter. No, he was actually feeling rather at peace with the fact that she was this upset over losing the Uchiha. He knew that the resentment would come later, but for now, he needed to watch the girl until her energy was spent. Then, he would go to her and pick up the pieces of her broken heart and try to put them back together.

After all, wasn't that what friends were for?

So Sakura punched the earth causing chunks of gravel to go flying, as Kankuro watched her, waiting to step in.

Finally, her punches slowed, and the ferocity of her chakra dulled to normalcy. The girl was exhausted and on the verge of collapsing. When she landed one last blow to the sand, Kankuro knew she was done and dashed to her side as she fell to the ground. Her breathing was ragged and harsh, and her face was swollen and tear-streaked. Her hands were demolished from the frenzy of her outburst, but nothing that he couldn't fix.

Overall, she was absolutely beautiful in her despair. He knew he couldn't tell her, though. It wouldn't be fair.

So, he just gathered her worn body into his lap and let her rest against him as he pooled his own chakra and began healing her broken hands.

"I didn't know you had medic training..." Her voice was a soft whisper, soft and ragged from the strain of bellowing her sadness to the sky.

"Well, it's pretty obvious, if you think about it. I have the best chakra-control out of my genin team, and my ninjutsu doesn't take as much chakra as Temari's. It was pretty much a given." He spoke softly as he worked on her hands. After a few minutes of knitting bone and skin back together, he was satisfied that there would be no permanent damage. She was still leaned against him, breathing heavily.

"Come on, we need to have a medic look at those hands."

When he moved to stand, she shook her head. "No. Don't take me there, please."

Her voice was so full of sadness. He understood her reluctance to going to the hospital. Everyone would want to know what had happened. That was the last thing she needed, but her hands needed a proper examination. In reality, he wasn't a completely trained medic, and her injuries had to be attended.

"Please..." Her voice pleaded from against his shoulder. It was broken and defeated, and it was all it took for him to make his decision.

Several minutes later, they popped into a guest room at the Siblings' manor house. This was the only place he could think to bring her to where she could have the privacy she wanted, so he had transported her here. The servants would be in a tizzy once they realized they would have company for a few days, but that would come later. Right now, Sakura required a bed.

He lay her down carefully on the top of the large bed that took up most of the guest room, and then he removed her shoes and gear. Hopefully, she would be comfortable enough in her clothes. He pulled the blankets down and shifted her to where he could cover her up.

Kankuro looked down on the girl and, for the first time, saw how small and frail she was. Yeah, she was petite, but he had never known her to look to vulnerable. He had thought her to be asleep, but she shifted and looked up at him.

"Please, don't leave me."

"I'll be right back. I have to let everyone know we're here, and send word to Gaara that you'll be staying here for a few days." He reached down and stoked her hair, trying to sooth her. When he turned to leave, she grabbed his hand and held it hard.

"Stay. Please, I don't want to be alone." Her eyes held all of her anguish and pain in their unshed tears, and he could not deny her for another instant.

Still holding her hand, he kicked off his own shoes and removed his gear. He only released her hand long enough to remove his top before he climbed into the bed next to her. Sakura nestled in close, clinging to him.

All he could think about was her proximity and how sad she was. Sakura's sadness over another man had her holding onto him with all of her being. It was confusing, but he would keep that to himself. What she needed right now was something to anchor her to her world. And Kankuro would be that anchor, no matter how much it hurt him.


	20. Momma Temari to the rescue!

**A/N: What up guys!! Hope we all sruvived Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Yeah, I work in retail and had the glory of working during the madness. So much fun... Anyways, enjoy the next chapter. Just FYI, there will probably only be a few more chapters in this fic, one of them definitely lemon flavored, so be on the look-out. Well, that's it for now, so hope you likes. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and see you on the flip side.**

**I do not own Naruto, but I do want a sweat suit like his...**

Pulling Strings

Mama Temari To the Rescue!

Her world had become a dark place. So dark that no small bit of sunlight could penetrate it. And she had no idea how to find the light again.

Someone was talking. His voice was rich, smooth, and oh so nice, but where was he? Was he in this world of darkness with her? If so, then why? Surely the owner of that glorious piece of reality had never been as sad as she felt right at that moment.

What was he saying anyway?

She listened quietly, not even making an effort to let him know that she had heard him. His disheartened sigh that held just a touch of exacerbation told her that he thought that she had not heard. She longed to reach out to him; to tell him that she had heard him tell her that she had been granted a leave of bereavement from the hospital and that the Kazekage would speak with her as soon as she was able.

But, to do that, she would have to push the blankets from their heap atop her body. And, if she did that, she would have to face _people._

The last thing Sakura could handle right now was the pity that they would all surely offer her. That _he_ would offer.

She knew that Kankuro didn't understand what was happening. He thought that she was grieving for the unrequited love that she had felt toward the Uchiha. In all actuality, everyone probably thought that. Hell, she certainly would believe so, if she were in their shoes. But they were wrong.

Yes, she was grieving Sasuke.

But not as a lover. Never that. Thankfully, he had nixed that probability early on. And Sakura had realized some time ago that if anything had happened between herself and the moody brat known as Sasuke, she would likely have gone crazy in the brooding aftermath.

No, this was on a much deeper level. Sasuke had been a member of her genin team. Team 7 had been her first interaction with other shinobi in a professional sense. Even if Sasuke had been Kakashi's favorite student, she his least favorite. And even if she did learn more from Tsunade, it had still been her _first _team. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto had been her _first_ teammates.

And when Sasuke deserted, he became the driving force in Naruto's, and Sakura's own, pursuit of strength. Together, Sakura and Naruto had travelled a path of training that the two had hoped would one day end with a reunited Team 7.

Now, that idea was shattered. It lay in pieces on the floor.

And she couldn't force herself out of bed in order to explain her feelings to the one person who meant something to her in this God-forsaken place.

Still, he had stayed.

From the moment Kankuro had brought her to this by-the-wayside guest room in his family's home, he had barely left her side; only leaving long enough to explain what had happened to Gaara and request a leave from the hospital. He had also insisted that a medic come to look at her hands, which he had healed on his own.

The girl shifted under her blankets to where she could run her fingers together to feel the skin of each hand. From what she remembered of the incident three days prior, she had gone ballistic and had torn apart one of Suna's training areas. In doing so, she had also shredded her own hands. Luckily, Kankuro had had some medic training, and he had worked on her bleeding fingers while rocking her in his lap in an effort to calm her down.

Yeah, and that was exactly what she had come to love about the sarcastic puppet-nin. He had faith in her abilities as both medic and ninja, he had been unwaveringly loyal to her as a teammate, and he had held her close when she had needed it the most. He had been there for her through her toughest time, and he was still refusing to leave her side.

Sasuke had never done that.

But the question was, why? Why had Kankuro done so much for her that her own team had been unwilling to do?

That question is what finally brought Sakura's head out from beneath her pile of blankets. Never mind the fact that she had been in that bed for three days, in the same clothes, without so much as bathing or brushing her teeth. God, she must look a wreck...

As she pushed the covers away from her body, the low conversation that had been going on in the corner ceased. It only took a second for her to miss his low voice. Kankuro and Machi, the house's head servant, looked at her, alarm writ across both of their faces.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Why didn't he call her Sakura-chan? At one time, she would have pulverized him for being so familiar, but now she wanted to hear that more than any other word. Instead, she felt the tightness and dryness of her mouth and throat and asked for water.

Several minutes later, after making her way through an entire glass of liquid coolness, Sakura brought her dull, foggy gaze back to Kankuro who had not moved from his position in the corner. She licked her lips, and was glad that Machi had been intelligent enough to know when to discreetly leave the room.

"So, when did I become just Sakura?" She asked, eyes still hazy but clearing just a bit.

He started at the question. What the hell kind of question was that? Was she fucking with him, or was this some kind of weird invitation to attempt to comfort her? It took the small tug at the corner of her mouth to tell him it was the latter.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" He asked softly, his voice caressing the name and honorific. Her body visibly relaxed and tears sprung to her eyes. Startled by the girl's reaction, the puppet-master jumped from the wall he had been leaning against and all-but-ran to her side. Just as he was about to seat himself on the bed next to her and pull her into a hard embrace, the door that separated the guest room from the hallway burst open.

And in walked Temari.

The blond bustled in in a flurry of ponytails, ribbons, and mesh and wrapped herself around the petite little kunoichi. Sakura immediately burst into tears, sobbing for all her heart was worth. And Kankuro could do nothing but watch as his sister took his place as the consoling force that anchored Team 7's kunoichi to the world.

As he felt his heart break for the hundredth time in three days, Kankuro silently left the room and left the woman he had come to think of as his girl weeping in his sister's arms.

XXXXXX

Temari looked around her room, and took stock in her environment. It had been months since she had been in Suna, and even longer months since she had spent any time in her bedroom in her family's ancestral home. It was nice. Especially with all of the craziness that had happened in the past few days.

She had been slipping into her usual routine, the one that had taken control of her life since she had moved to Konoha, and was about to begin her day with a cup of coffee as she perused another batch of papers written by academy graduate candidates. This year's batch of possible new shinobi were quite good, but that was normal for Konoha. It was rare for the Village Hidden in the Leaves to produce a bad shinobi. Anyway, just as she was about to start on her third term paper, cup of coffee untouched and getting colder by the second, she had received the summons to report to the Hokage.

Her heart had skipped a beat. The only reason to be summoned by Tsunade-sama was problems that pertained to the Village Hidden in the Sand. She nearly panicked, not knowing what to expect upon entering the Godaime's office.

Then, she had been told about Uchiha Sasuke's death due to wounds received while fighting his own brother. Okay, so what had this to do with her? Wait, hadn't that guy been a friend of Sakura's once? Shit.

She had still been trying to catch her breath from her mad dash to the tower while not really fully listening to what was being said, so she almost missed the next part.

The Hokage had personally asked Temari to return to Suna in order to carry the village's condolences to his once-teammate, while offering any comfort or consoling that she could. Really, did the woman have to ask? She would have gone anyways, only now it would be easy to get time off work.

Kakashi and Naruto had met her on the way home to pack. Naruto was a complete mess, and Kakashi was not much better. He didn't blubber and sob like the blond boy, but even Temari could see the sadness in the bag under the elite-jounin's lone eye. Both gave her messages for Sakura, and Temari didn't have to read them herself to know what they said. What else could her other teammates do, but take blame onto themselves and apologize over and over for not getting there on time? Sakura would not blame them, but apparently they needed to tell her to. Oh well, whatever. Guys will be guys.

She had hauled ass trying to get home to be there for Sakura. She really hadn't known what to expect upon opening the door to the guest room in her family's home. After her initial meeting with Gaara to announce that she was back for a short time, the woman had immediately headed in the other woman's direction. It had been a shock to hear sympathy in Gaara's voice, but even more of a shock to hear that Kankuro had been taking care of her, and that he had taken her to _their house_.

It had been four days since she had barged into that room and taken over the situation. Even then, she had seen the hurt in her brother's eyes when she took control of the emotional mess that was Sakura. He had been her support for several days, so Temari could see why this new development would bother him. That was why she was going to meet with him today, but first...

A knock sounded at her door. She seated herself on the wheeled chair that sat at her desk and tried to look as empirial as possible.

At her summons, the door creaked open slowly, but no one entered. After a few minutes of waiting, Temari's eye began to twitch.

"Oh, get in here already, Matsuri."

The younger kunoichi crept in slowly but hesitated just inside the door. Temari motioned for the girl to have a seat on the end of her bed, but the poor thing just closed her eyes tight and shook her head 'no'.

"If you do not sit down right now, I will have you pulled from your post as my brother's assistant and make sure that he only assigns you missions that involve cleaning up dog shit." The blond crossed her arms and looked coolly at the girl.

Matsuri's violet eyes shot open and she glanced wide-eyed at her superior. That surprised look only lasted a few seconds, when she made eye contact with Temari of the Sand. Then, her look turned to one that was narrowed and sharp.

Violet bore into sea-foam green as both women tried to set one another on fire with just their vision.

Matsuri was the first to look away, but out of respect for her Kazekage's sister as opposed to submission. And Temari knew this, so she allowed her gaze to soften a little as the girl perched herself tentatively on the edge of the bed.

"What did you want to speak to me about, Temari-sama?"

"Matsuri. How many times must I tell you not to call me that? My future sister-in-law should call me...something like...well...chan... I don't really like that one either, but...Matsuri are you alright?"

The dark-haired girl's skin had gone unbelievably pale, and she looked like she was about to pass out.

"W-what d-do y-you m-mean...s-sister-in-l-law?" Temari almost snorted a demeaning laugh as she superimposed a mental image of Hyuga Hinata over Matsuri. The poor thing sounded so much like the timid leaf kunoichi that it was impossible not to.

"Oh come on, everyone but Gaara knows how much you love him. And everyone but you and Gaara both knows how much he loves you. So, tell me about these amazing dresses that you used to get him all riled up."

Geez, that lack of color could not be good for the skin. If this kept up, the kid was definitely going to faint. Temari stood and poured the girl a glass of water, then came to sit by her on the bed. She held the glass out and waited patiently as Matsuri frantically tried to calm her nerves enough to take the proffered cup.

As she watched the young chunin drink slowly, Temari reached up and tucked a stray lock around her ear. This must be terribly hard for the girl. She was in love with a man who had no idea how to love her back. What was worse is that he did feel the same way, but didn't know how to project those feelings other than by making her life more difficult. It really needed to stop for the sake of both of their sanity.

"Hey, I've got an idea that might just help you out with Gaara..." She waited while Matsuri coughed and spluttered her way out of the cup of water that she had just tried to breath in.

"Wha...?" Was all the child could get out before Temari had to start pounding on her back to help regulate her breathing.

When Matsuri could breath regularly, she turned those big violet eyes toward the older woman. Temari could see her crazy smile reflected in those shiny pools. Right next the girl's hope and fear. This was going to be fun.


	21. And It All Comes Crashing Down

**A/N: And here is another installment for all of you out there in fan-fic-land. Hope you likes. And I found this fic call _A Book of Five Rings_ by _Sakura Haru. _It's Kaka/Saku, and it's absolutely divine. So check it out. Anyways, enjoy this next chapter.**

**For those of you who haven't guessed, I am not Masashi Kishimoto. If I were, Kakashi would not be lying in a pool of his blood while I focused my attention on Ebisu and Konohamaru...**

Pulling Strings

And It All Comes Crashing Down

Temari sat idly twirling a piece of one of her four ponytails around a finger. Sighing loudly, she wondered if a new 'do was in order. Maybe something classic and sleek would get that lazy ass's attention. On second thought, in order to get Konoha's up-and-coming shadow expert to pay attention to her, she would need a flashing neon sign. Then he would just ignore her saying she was too much work.

Men sucked.

So why was she going out of her way to help her brothers? Oh yeah, like all men, the two were in love and didn't know how to deal with their circumstances. And if the two were left to their own devices, two very strong kunochi would be devastated in the process.

Of course, Sakura and Matsuri weren't short their share of idiocy in causing unnecessary turmoil when it came to their men.

At the hesitant knock, she dragged herself out of hostile thoughts and grumbled a greeting and acknowledgement to enter.

"It's about time, you moron. I've been waiting forever." Her sea-foam eyes gave him an intense glare that looked like it might freeze him at any moment. In all honesty, she had only finished her talk with Matsuri a few minutes ago, so hadn't been waiting long. But he didn't need to know that.

"Heya, Tem-chan, what's up?" He inched into her room and scratched at the back of his head nervously. "So, how are things in Konoha?"

"Can it, Kankuro, we both know this has nothing to do with my current living situation or my trip home." He looked up from a particularly interesting spot on the carpet, wonder writ across his face. She leveled a steely look that brooked to argument. "I want to talk about Sakura."

His normally dark complexion took on a pallor that nearly matched the stark white of the sheets that covered Temari's bed.

"W-what about Sakura?" He gulped audibly. Man, he had it bad, and he probably didn't even know he had it to begin with.

"I mean about what's going on between you two. I had been hearing some rumors about how much time you were spending together, but... after seeing you comforting her, I know there's something between you."

He looked to the floor again, as if not really sure what to say to being called out by his sister. If this woman, who wasn't even living in their village, could read this much into them, what did others think?

"Kankuro," the softness of her voice caused him to look up sharply, "you've been starstruck ever since she came here the first time. I've noticed how you perk up at the mention of Konoha shinobi, hoping to hear just a snippet of intel on her. I think it may even go back as far as the first time we met her team at the chuunin exams. You love her, don't you?"

Kankuro just stood gaping at his older sister. She had nailed it. Yeah, it had started as a crush on the cute pink-haired girl in their chuunin class, and then as a passing fancy on the medic who had rescued him. Recently, though, it had evolved into so much more.

"Yeah, but I'm not Uchiha Sasuke, and I could never compete for the emotions that she felt for him."

There, he had said it. He was jealous of a dead man. A dead man who still held Sakura's heart, and he had no idea how to even begin to elicit that much emotion from the girl. Having said what he felt to the very marrow of his bones, Kankuro heaved a heavy sigh and blew it out through puffed cheeks. He turned to leave, hoping Temari had found whatever it was she had been looking for.

"You don't understand at all." Again, the voice was soft, almost melodic. A remembered assurance from when they were children and had endured so much. He turned to look at her, and she motioned for him to come in and sit. "Little brother, there is so much more to Haruno Sakura than you have even begun to fathom. Sit down and let me explain some things."

XXXXXXXX

Several hours and pots of tea later, Kankuro stood from his perch on his sister's bed and stretched his body. Turning just right and pulling a sickening crack from his spine, he looked down at the blond.

"So, you think she cares about me, too?" Temari watched her brother with lazy eyes as he rummaged through the tray of sweets that Machi had brought about an hour before.

"Yes," she said simply, stifling a yawn. "Sakura is still that impulsive, quick-tempered brat that she was when we met her, but she has this new-found need for privacy when it comes to issues dealing with daily life. She was miserable in Konoha, and that was due to the fact that she didn't feel like anyone took her seriously. Hence, why she left Team 7 altogether, and why she had begun to insinuate quite a reputation as a man-eater. But, no one knew how sad she really was, because she shut herself off from everyone. Did you know that she didn't even say goodbye to anyone when she left?"

Kankuro's eyebrow raised in answer to her question. She took a sip of tea before continuing.

"She let you in, idiot. Sakura has not has an actual heart-felt conversation with anyone for months. And just knowing that she let you near when she had her breakdown over Sasuke...well..." She spread her hands as if that were explanation enough.

"Right, the breakdown over the guy who had been the love of her life for a very long time, who she had stopped loving, but still loved as a friend and teammate? Is that right?" Temari rolled her eyes at the guy's childishness.

"Really, you're making this way too complicated. Sakura had a school-girl crush on the hottest and smartest guy in the academy. Upon realizing what a jerk he truly was, she dropped the crush. However, considering that he was a member of her first shinobi team, she still harbours endearment toward him as both friend and teammate." She looked at him expectantly, he blinked at her confusedly. Rubbing her hands through her bangs, Temari wracked her brain for a better way to explain this.

"Okay, if something happened to myself or Gaara, you would be upset because we're your family right?" Nod, nod. "So, how would you feel if something happened to Baki-san?" Realization dawned in dull-brown eyes, as he slowly nodded his understanding. "See, that's what I mean. Sasuke was her teammate, and she mourns him as that. And I really should not be the one telling you this."

The puppet-master's head cocked to the side in question.

"She should be the one telling you all of this. But at the rate you two are going, you'll be dead before you even tell each other how you feel. I swear you and Haruno are almost as dimwitted as Gaara and Matsuri."

"Hey, speaking of....what are we going to do to help those two hook up?"

The walls of the mansion shook with the force of Temari's punch.

As Sakura healed the bowling ball sized lump on Kankuro's head, she thought that surely he hadn't gone so far as to grope his own sister. But, this was Kankuro after all.

Temari waited in the wings while the pink-haired medic tended to her brother. Sakura moved fluidly and with a grace that only the utmost confidence allowed. Surely, the girl knew just how talented she was? But, this was Sakura after all. If anyone could win a trophy on sheer inability to judge self-worth, it would be Konoha's second-best medic.

The leaf kunoichi brushed a lock of the brunette's hair across his forehead before straightening and shooting a quizzical look toward the blond. Temari just shrugged.

"Hey, got time for a short walk?" Sakura seemed to think about the abrupt invitation, and was obviously calculating what kind of excuse she would need to get out of it. "I'm not taking no for an answer." With her arms crossed and sneer firmly in place, Temari could have passed as a much younger, blue-eyed Tsunade, which caused a shiver to overtake Sakura'a body.

"Sure," she said meekly before she was all-but-pulled into the brisk late winter sunlight.

The two meandered along quietly for some time before one spoke.

"You love my brother, don't you?" A mischievous glint sparkled in sea-foam.

"What..." The rosette's bright green eyes widened alarmingly. Temari almost feared that the balls would just fall from the sockets before the girl was able to regain herself. "I have no idea what you are talking about," was Sakura's flippant remark before she made it a point to stare straight ahead of her. Temari couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's expense.

"You are not fooling me, Haruno Sakura. I know you like Kankuro a lot. The question is, why are you holding back?"

Sakura stopped abruptly. Her hand flew up, first finger pointed accusingly, but no words came. She just stood floundering like a fish out of water.

"I _am _his sister. Do you actually think you two could hide this from me? I don't understand the hesitation on either side, either. You two dance around one another almost as badly as Matsuri and Gaara." She stepped in front of the petite girl and placed her hands on her shoulders, much in the manner of an older sister. "Look, he is waiting for a signal from you to let him know that you're not still broken up about Uchiha." She looked hard into the younger woman's eyes, then. "You aren't are you?"

Sakura shook her head slowly, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Then, she sighed, defeated.

"It wasn't even like that with Sasuke. But...I honestly didn't know Kankuro was waiting for me."

"Yeah, and that's why I know this is for real for him. You don't have to love him, but any moron can see that you care for him. So why not take a chance and let him in. Who knows, maybe he can cure your inescapable bitchiness."

Sakura's head shot up, aghast covering her face. "What!!" she screeched.

"Oh, come on Sakura. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that not a single one of those several lovers that you had back home satisfied you at all. Why are you blushing? Oh my god, you've fucked him already, haven't you? Why didn't you tell me? Seriously, did it relieve _any_ of that bad attitude that you've been carrying..."

"I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH YOU!" The shriek rang out for several blocks, and birds and small animals were startled from their nests. An infant in a nearby stroller began a high-pitched wailing cry. Temari couldn't contain her mirth as she jogged to catch up with her friend who was stalking back to the mansion.

"Oh come on, at least tell me if any of the rumors about him are true."

Sakura stopped short and turned slowly. "You do realize that you are talking about your brother, right?"

Temari's tight-lipped sniggers were answer enough. That bitch was making fun of her!

"Oh, it's on now." As the blond blur passed, only to be chased shortly after by a pink blur, the only thing heard by any bystanders was shrieking laughter.

Sakura chased Temari throughout the village, but soon both were ragged and out of breath. Sensing exhaustion in the older kunoichi, the medic called a truce, and the two trudged their way back home. Both were sticky with sweat from their exertion, but they were happy and exhilarated.

"So... speaking of Gaara and Matsuri...Do you have anything in mind for getting them together?"

Sakura cringed at the positively evil smirk that drew itself across Temari's lips.

"Yup." The blond slid a look sideways to her companion. "Do you still have those amazing dresses that I've heard so much about?"


	22. Find Me a Find, Catch Me a Catch

**A/N: What up guys!!! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, it was rather fun to write. I think there will probably be only one more chapter after this. And, once you finish this one, you will probably be able to guess what's going to happen. Anyways, it's a bit of a cliffy, but I didn't want to make it too long. That, and now the next chapter can just be all about dirtyness. Anyways, thanks to the reviewers and readers.**

**Check out _earthbender068's _new fic called 'Last Name'. It's good, and I can't wait to read more! Lots of dominant Kiba action! You'll love it.**

**So, I still don't own these characters, but they sure are fun to toy with...**

Pulling Strings

Find Me a Find, Catch Me a Catch

Sakura stood against the wall of the reception hall sipping from her glass as she discreetly surveyed the room. Temari's impromptu 'party' had her, once again, rubbing elbows with the wealthy of Suna and the rest of Wind Country. Only this time, they had a plan.

She eyed the trio that had just entered the party hall that took up almost an entire floor of the Kazekage's tower and waited for her sign. Cheers went out and all bodies turned to applaud their hosts. Now was time for her to engage in step one of 'the plan'.

The Leaf kunoichi made her way to the far corner of the room to where where Matsuri stood uncomfortably. The girl was wearing Sakura's favorite of her formal dresses, the pale violet one that off-set her eyes oh-so-well. Gaara had missed his chance with the pretty young thing once already, and Sakura hoped that he wouldn't be so oblivious this time around. If so, hoping that all went according to 'the plan', he wouldn't get another chance. Matsuri's eyes sparkled as she saw Sakura's approach, and she visibly relaxed at having someone she trusted so close.

"Don't tell me you're nervous." The older woman found it hard not to laugh at how uncomfortable the poor child was.

"No, well...yeah. I don't like being around so many of these people..." She trailed off, afraid of someone overhearing and taking offense. Sakura snorted.

"Don't be afraid of these ass-kissing snobs. Half of them are still scared shitless of your master, but that won't keep them from trying to make gains simply by being associated with him." She put her wine glass down and leaned against the wall, closer to the young kunoichi. "Besides, how often to you get to see that _man_ looking so good?"

Yup, just as they had thought. At the merest mention of how good he looked, which he did by the way, Matsuri's throat contracted visibly as it went dry.

Her eyes wandered across the Sand Trio and settled on her boss's form. He wore a simple black tuxedo, no flash nor flair to it, just plain and close-cut. But it hugged his body nicely. Tonight, he did not look too pale, nor did he look just a bit too skinny. No, he was slim, trim, and god-like. The shock of red hair and brightness of his tattoo only served to bring the viewer's gaze level with what truly set off the look. Those eyes.

Even Sakura had to admit that the palest jade contrasted wonderfully with the natural black outlines. The color was an entity all its own, and he was beautiful. Matsuri was nearly drooling.

The signal came when Temari flicked her hand across her brother's shoulder as if wiping a piece of lint away. The medic looked to the girl beside her and hoped she wouldn't hate her too badly in the morning. She took a breath and, giving a wink to the younger girl, stepped toward her evening's duty.

She walked across the hall, evergreen skirt swishing as she added a little seduction into her walk. She brushed past Kankuro with only the minutest of acknowledgement. He seemed to barely notice her as he headed in the opposite direction.

A few hours and several drinks later, Sakura was perched on a bar stool next to Gaara as he spoke with some of the wealthier young lords of the party. There had been much drinking and little else but talk, and all seemed to be waiting for the older partiers to take their leave before the action would begin. Thus, the pinkette had insinuated herself at the Kazekage's side on the pretense of talking politics. Luckily, the other young men had brought dates and were not predisposed to discuss the future of their companies nor their country's relationship with foreign lands.

Temari caught her eye and gave her a long, pointed look. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kankuro sitting near Matsuri, who was tossing bewildered looks in their direction. Okay, everyone was in place. Time to start with the next phase.

Pasting the silliest grin she could muster across her lips, Sakura moved to adjust her seating on the stool and 'accidentally' slipped. Right into Gaara's lap.

"Oh, my god, Kazekage-sama, I'm so sorry," she slurred.

He helped her find her way back into her seat as the other ladies in their grouping tittered obnoxiously. A perplexed look covered his features.

"Haruno, are you alright?" It was odd that she was acting this way. He hadn't thought she'd had very much to drink. That, and she was a medic, so she should know her limits, right?

"Oh, I'm fine." Was the giggled response as she was hoisted back into her seat. But, just as he was about to remove his hand from her back, she leaned precariously in that direction. This forced the generally untouchable Gaara to keep his hand on her lower back so that she wouldn't fall off the back of the stool and knock herself unconscious. Sakura took this chance to lean into him, ever so slightly, to whisper her thanks. Of course, he had to lean close to hear her.

Sakura snuck a look behind her and could see that her movements had had the desired effect on Matsuri. The girl looked betrayed and horrified and pissed all at once. God only knew what Kankuro was saying at that moment to add fuel to the fire.

Pretending to need more balance, she snaked her arm around his shoulders. Again, she whispered her thanks for holding her up. Again, he had to lean in close to hear her words.

"Ummm...Haruno-san? Can I ask you to stop please?" It was Matsuri's voice making this not-so-polite request. It was odd that she had moved in without the two noticing. So, she really was a decent kunoichi after all. The two other males and two other females in the circle looked up, wondering who this new person was. Gaara's eyes narrowed at his subordinate.

"What is this about Matsuri?" He asked her with a tone that seemed just a bit wary.

"If you don't mind, Gaara-kun, I addressed Haruno-san." Her cheeks tinted pink at speaking so familiarly to her long-time crush, but that changed as soon as she focused on Sakura. "I would speak with you outside, Sakura-san."

"Matsuri, we both know that what you need to say has nothing to do with me." She stood, and Gaara gave her a deadly glare as he realized that she wasn't really all that drunk. "He's here, and so is everyone else. Just tell him."

Gaara stood and waited for Matsuri to speak. When she would no longer make eye contact, he turned toward Sakura to question her. But she was nowhere in sight. Beginning to lose his patience, the former sand demon folded his arms across his chest and took his classic 'angry' stance.

"Well..." He prompted. Matsuri knew how little patience Gaara had, but she didn't want to tell him what she needed to in front of all of these people. She could just feel all of their eyes on her, and she fidgeted as she looked to the floor. She could also feel the anger rising from the man in front of her. Sand particles began to dance in the air as his chakra flared. The girl swallowed and looked up into those impossibly intense eyes. They burned with unknown emotion.

"I love you."

There was not a sound in the room as all took in what had just been said. But before anyone could react, there was the sudden sound of sand pouring in from outside. It swirled around Gaara and Matsuri briefly before the two were engulfed. Then, they were gone.

That pretty much did it for the party too. The guests were buzzing with the excitement of what had just happened, but they also knew nothing more would come of the encounter. They would just have to wait to find out, but they just couldn't wait to get the rumor mill started.

Temari stood at the door and said goodbye to her last guest, then she turned to her other brother.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" She eyed him as he sat nonchalantly at the bar, on the stool that Sakura had been using in her act.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" He asked idly, not meeting her fierce glare.

"Yes, and you didn't answer my question. She was the first to leave, so why are you still here?"

He slumped dejectedly and ran a hand through his long brown spikes. He still hadn't cut his locks since being released from the hospital. "I don't know if she still even wants me around."

Temari almost screamed at him. "Get out of here, you fucking idiot. Go sweep her off her feet. Now." She pointed to the door and held him with that same icy glare.

"Okay, I'm going. I just hope you're right." He stood and, slinging his jacket over his shoulder, he made his way to the door.

"You know, she didn't know which dress to wear tonight." He stopped and looked at his sister over his shoulder. She didn't look up at him. "I told her you liked that one the most because the color matched her eyes so well." It took a moment for her words to sink in before he was moving again.

"Thanks, Tem," was all she heard as he left the room.

A few minutes later, a rather ruffled Sakura was hurriedly trying to answer the door. She had moved back into her room at the tower, but had forgotten the layout completely. She almost didn't make it to the door without killing herself in the dark.

"What?" she huffed as she pulled open the door. And she nearly fainted as she felt her heart do a somersault and back flip all at once.

There _he _stood with that damned half-cocked smile and looking, like always, charmingly roguish. Even with his jacket over one shoulder and his tie loosened, Kankuro looked like something out of a James Bond movie. He was tall, dark, sexy, and edible, and she just couldn't handle this right now.

"Umm...can I help you?" Came her shy response as she fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing.

"Yeah, you can start by letting me in and explaining why you're wearing my shirt," came his reply.

Sakura couldn't help but blush darkly at being caught in nothing but his t-shirt. Except for the nights she had spent in the Siblings' home, she had worn that shirt to sleep in since he had loaned it to her. That first night, she had forgotten that she had been wearing it and had fallen asleep with it on. The next night, she had been tossing and turning before finally deciding that she was cold and had put the t-shirt back on. From then on, it had been the only thing that seemed to calm her enough for sleep. But she couldn't tell him that.

"It's comfy?" She failed miserably at coming up with a reasonable excuse. Of course, he saw right through it.

With a slightly raised brow, Kankuro gripped Sakura's shoulders and walked her backward into her room. He shut the door behind him with a kick, effectively throwing them into complete darkness. The kunoichi immediately tensed, pulling a dark chuckle from the man standing before her. He leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"Why sleep with a shirt, when you can have the real thing?" The words were spoken so softly that she almost didn't hear them. She could barely concentrate on what was spoken, not with his breath tickling that sensitive area just along her jawline. He gripped her tighter, to keep her from moving away, and continued to chill her with his low rumbling voice.

"I've figured you out, little one. You've pushed everyone away from you, and you've broken all meaningful relationships. I know why." She didn't like the dark tone he had taken and tried to step away, if anything to break the spell his voice had caught her in. His grip tightened all the more, and her pulse quickened. "See," he continued as he nuzzled along her hair, "you fear rejection in the worst way. And, in that fear, you've kept everyone away. So, now you have no idea what you _need_." Sakura swallowed and licked her dry lips. She would surely die if he kept this up.

She didn't really like how much control he was exerting, and she hated how her body was reacting. Her nerves were on fire, especially where his skin came in contact with hers; where his hands dug into her biceps, where his nose tickled the shell of her ear, where his lips grazed the skin of her throat. She had to regain control, and fast.

"What is it that I _need_?" She bit out, stifling a moan as he licked that sensitive spot on her neck again. If only she could get loose without having to hurt him. He chuckled again.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll show you."


	23. Lemon Pie

**A/N: So, I have been working on this chapter for like a week, but I kept getting interrupted. I'm afraid it may not be that great, so please let me know if it sucks horribly. And, I'm a big fat liar, because this will not be the last chapter. There will be one more, soon, I hope. Anyways, thought I'd send my readers a bit of Christmas smut, I mean, cheer. Have a giant piece of lemon pie, on me. Happy holiday, and enjoy the chapter.**

**And, even though I asked for Naruto for Christmas, he doesn't belong to me. Nor does Kakashi, Kiba, Gaara, or Kankuro, for that matter. Man, Santa must really hate me...**

Pulling Strings

Lemon Pie

"And what is it that I need?" Kankuro could hear the hesitation in Sakura's voice. She was on the verge of panicking. Which meant that all was going according to his plan. He smirked wickedly into her throat and chuckled enough to pull goose bumps from her skin.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll show you." And that was the last straw. Sakura's body tensed as she was about to begin her futile struggle to free herself.

But there was no mistaking the flush to her skin and the heat of her flesh. She was turned on; she just didn't know what to make of the situation.

In order to keep her from fleeing his grasp, and doing him bodily harm, Kankuro turned Sakura's body to where she had her back to him. This way, he could wrap an arm around her body and both arms, while controlling her stance so that she couldn't get in a good kick. He resumed torturing her neck and ear.

Sakura's struggles were halfhearted at best, which told him that she wanted this.

"You see, I've figured you out completely." He whispered against her skin, sending hot breaths over her already heated skin. And she couldn't fool him with that barely stifled sigh. "You've always felt unimportant when around others. That's why you currently have no friends." She tensed again, and he just knew that she had opened her fiery eyes and was trying to get sight of him in an effort to scorch his body. Another round of soothing kisses to the neck and shoulder had her melting way too quickly.

"So, to remedy your low self-confidence, you took control over every aspect of your life. Especially sex. _You _choose the time, place, everything. And, then you wonder why your lovers can never fulfill your needs."

At this, the halfhearted attempts at wriggling from his grasp, ceased altogether. Sakura was then turned, and her wild green gaze was met with a look of pure adoration and gentleness.

"Sakura, you just need to let go." He whispered to her while pushing a pale pink strand of hair behind her ear.

She blinked. She blinked again. The poor girl was at a loss for words, but a smile curved Kankuro's lips. He knew a perfect answer for her inability to speak. And before Sakura could think too much about what he had said, he kissed her.

This time, the kiss was slow and solid. He tried to tell her everything with that kiss. How he felt about her, and how he wanted her to feel about him. He told her that he understood her sadness and her feelings of ineptitude because he had felt them as well.

Sakura felt the soft press of Kankuro's lips on hers. She had not expected to hear those kinds of words from the puppet-ninja. What's more is that she hadn't expected him to be so right.

But old habits die hard, and she still didn't like how much control he had assumed.

That slow warm kiss erupted into passion and heat as soon as Sakura decided to take it further. She plunged into his mouth with all of the fervor that she could muster. He just had to know how she felt. She _needed_ him to know that he was right about her.

Kankuro felt a smile tug at his lips when Sakura delved fully into their lip-lock. That was just so much like her, but he had other plans.

He broke their kiss with a suddenness that had the medic's eyes flying open, sheer surprise written on her face. Hooded brown eyes glinted down at her as he smirked.

"I said, you have to let go. I'm in charge. You have no say in what happens tonight. Just enjoy it."

Sakura's head tilted to the side, and her brows furrowed deeply. Another dark chuckle came from the man holding her upright, but she had no time to tell him how full of shit he was if he thought he was in control of anything. Before she got a word out, he was turning her around, again.

This time, though, he didn't wrap his arms around her in an attempt to fully disarm her. No, this time, he settled for bringing both of her wrists together in front of her body and gripping them in one hand. Come on, if he thought he could hold her with that, he was nuts. He wasn't even holding her that tightly.

With his free hand, Kankuro tugged the pale locks, that had grown to just below her shoulder, so that the side of her neck and face were visible to him. He kissed her lightly on the temple, then moved to rain even gentler kisses down her cheek to her jaw, then her ear.

"Relax, beautiful. Let me show you how much I _need _you." His voice was bordering on a desperation that she had never heard. The medic knew that she wanted him to touch her just as much as he wanted to do the touching. She willed her body to relax.

As the kunoichi's limbs loosened, the boy knew that she had given in, and he moved on to the next part of his plan.

Sakura felt the cool touch of a blade brush across her skin. Where the hell had he pulled that kunai from? Her instincts kicked in, but she was not able to pull away fast enough. She didn't even get time to infuse her hands with chakra before she felt the cold air of the room wash over her bare skin.

Kankuro had used a kunai to cut his t-shirt off of her.

Sakura stood in the cool air, hands still firmly clasped in front of her, shivering lightly. He had moved so fast that she wasn't sure she knew what had happened.

Once again, she was turned to face him. Now, though, he pushed her to arms length. At the astonished look in her eyes, he smiled again.

"Don't worry, you can have another one of my shirts." Her frown deepened and he raised his brows suggestively. And, again, before she could register anything, he had stepped close enough to whisper into her ear. "I didn't get the chance to look at you before. And now, I can _touch _you." He ran a finger down her chest between her breasts and across her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her panties. "I'm going to feel every inch of you, and," he snapped the elastic on her underwear, "_I_ will be the one to take these off of you, this time."

The way he was talking to her was too much. No one had ever spoken so blatantly about what he wanted to do to her body before, nor had she ever allowed anyone to take so many liberties with her. Sakura blushed furiously, enough to turn her body a bright red.

Noticing the intensity of the girl's flush, Kankuro decided that he had said enough to her. Now, it was time to show her what he could do.

He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her in for another lip-searing kiss. This kiss was all his, and he kept it slow and languid. They had all the time in the world, and he was not about to let her rush things.

While kissing her, he moved his hands from their perch on her waist to trail butterfly touches across her back and shoulders. He teased along her arms, bringing more goosebumps to the surface.

Sakura's mind barely registered the light trails his fingers were making across her superheated flesh. All she could focus on was his mouth, and she wondered what else he could do with that tongue. When his caresses transformed from the slightest of touches to heavier pets, she couldn't help but sigh into his mouth. If he kept this up, she wouldn't be able to stand much longer.

Sensing that he had effectively turned the woman in his arms into a pile of mush, Kankuro brought one arm up to wrap around her shoulders as he leaned down to scoop her off of the floor. She 'eeped' softly into his mouth, which he drowned out with a growl of appreciation at the feeling of her body pressed against his.

Laying the medic across her bed, the sand-nin pulled back to admire her body. She was such a lovely sight, all mussed hair, panting chest, and sweat-sheened skin. But the lust that darkened her eyes to the deepest shade of evergreen just about did him in. Then she did the most confusing thing ever. Sakura tried to cover herself with her hands.

It was a reflex at those cool dark eyes scrutinizing her nearly nude form. Sakura didn't like being ogled, and her body reacted to his stare. She knew her body was flawed, and she definitely didn't want to be judged for it.

Kankuro gripped her hands, pulling them away from her body, then resting them on the bed above her head. When he spoke, his voice carried that low rumbling intimacy that she had heard him use with the nurse. She had wanted so much for him to speak to her so intimately.

"Sakura, you're too beautiful to hide yourself away. You're like a goddess." He leaned in and nuzzled that sweet spot on her neck. "Please, let me pay homage.." He was practically purring, and the vibrations that ran from his chest to where it made contact with hers was causing heat to pool inside of her.

The brunette leaned back on his heels and admired the girl spread across the bed like a buffet on Christmas morning, smiling to himself. Continuing to hold the look of her misty green gaze, he decided that he needed to remove some of his own clothing. Slowly, ever so enticingly, he removed his tuxedo shirt, then removed the dress pants. If she had not been so far gone, Sakura would have probably rolled her eyes at the fact that he had decided not to wear underwear. Really, a shinobi going commando? Come on.

Sakura kept her sights on his face, way too embarrassed to look down at his package. She didn't want to know what it looked like because she didn't know how to judge it. She had never bothered with her other lovers, so she just didn't want to disappoint him with her apparent inexperience.

Kankuro could tell that Sakura was fighting an inner battle with the fact that he was now nude, but he decided not to let her dwell on that fact.

Pink hair fluttered across the pillow as she jerked sharply when she felt his touch on her stomach. His skin was so cool compared to how heated hers was. He resumed his previous light caress, using her navel as a starting point, then radiating outward to her limbs. At the addition of small amounts of chakra, Kankuro was able to find all of the stiff muscles and joints that plagued her and knead them out. Very soon, it was Sakura's turn to purr in contentment as she was massaged thoroughly.

It was then that the devil in man's desguise decided to adiminister soft, lingering kisses everywhere that his hands touched. Soon, Sakura had stopped purring and was mewling at the sensations his tongue was adding to the massage.

She was going to lose her mind if he kept this up.

A few minutes more of the sensual massage, and the lust coming from the girl was palpable. It shimmered in the air in a haze. As Kankuro finished up his exploration of her body, he turned her over and ran his hands across her back once more. His fingers stopped long enough to dance softly across a small scar on her back.

"You have this one on your shoulder, and another across your right thigh. The worst, though, is the long one that descends your left calf. That one nearly killed you." His voice had grown husky.

The girl rolled enough to look at him over her shoulder without forcing him to break contact with her skin.

"Yeah, I nearly bled to death before Kakashi and Naruto could get to me..." She trailed off as she lay her head on the pillow. There was sorrow in her voice.

Kankuro pulled her onto her back and leaned in close, eyeing her deeply.

"They protect you because they love you. I know that's why I do it." So much honesty in his eyes. Did he really care that much for her? Could she do the same?

Before Sakura had the chance to weasel her way out of another intimate moment, the brunette's mouth brushed against hers. He kissed her harder and deeper than he had so far, hands, once again, roaming her body. When Sakura tried to run her hands along his back and shoulders, he pulled back and grabbed her them. Then, he placed them back above her head while giving her his token wicked grin.

"I told you, this is my homage to you. Just lie back and let go."

And she did. She let go, and let him take control of her body.

As all of the tension of being a super control freak eased from Sakura's body, she felt him kiss his way down her body to the elastic waist of her panties. He gave her a saucy look before gripping them tightly in both hands and ripping them from her body.

The medic's annoyed shriek was cut off when one hand gripped her hip to hold her in place while the other lit across the triangle of hair at the apex of her sex. The shriek turned into a gasp as those amazingly talented fingers found their way to her folds and began massaging her _there_.

Another searing kiss had the woman grinding into his hand, begging him silently to touch her deeper.

She felt his fingers leave her body and looked at him confused before she noticed the smirk in his eyes as he licked the fingers that had just been rubbing the pearl between her legs. He looked like he had just tasted the most delicious dish on the planet. To him, she was.

Kankuro sucked the juices from his fingers as he wet them in order to have no trouble sliding them inside of her. He had made her come with his cock once before, but now he wanted to show her that there was so much more to sex. He wanted her to know how much he wanted her. After thoroughly lubricating his digits, he moved to a position that half-straddled one of her thighs before parting her legs for easier access.

He, once again, began massaging that little bead that made her squirm, then moved his finger along the slick slit before plunging into her core.

Yep, she really wasn't going to last through this.

The feel of Kankuro's hands on her, _in _her, was too much. And now, he was lapping his tongue across the hot skin of her belly to the rhythm that he had set with his finger. Before long, Sakura had abandoned all cohesive thought and was moaning and rocking to his even tempo.

He moved up her body, licking and sucking every inch of her torso. Pausing only to focus on her breasts for the slightest of moments. When he flicked his tongue across the first nipple, her body went rigid and contracted tightly around his finger.

"Not yet, little one, I've got so much more for you," he whispered into her skin while pulling his hand away from the heaven that was between her legs. He gripped the breast that he had just suckled and moved to leave a wet ring around the other with his tongue. A nibble on the aroused, pink flesh caused the girl's body to heat up immensely, causing him to chuckle into her chest. The vibrations, once again sent a shot of desire through her body. He returned to the first rosy bud and bit down just a bit harder, eliciting a startled whimper from the medic.

He nuzzled the flesh that was slightly red and raised from his teeth, pulling another gasp from Sakura. She was just so responsive; how was it that she was so little satisfied by other men? Wait, had she just said something? He pulled the tiny bead of dark pink back into his mouth and bit down even harder. "Hmmmm?"

"Please, please..." she was gripping the sheets with one hand and biting the knuckles of the other.

"Please what?" he rumbled against her skin, nipping again, bringing out another louder moan.

"Please, can I...can I..." Kankuro let go of the soft mound and gave her a burning look.

"Can you what? Do you want to come, Sakura_-chan_?" Seeing her in a position of shocked ecstasy, while begging to get off, was absolutely divine.

"Tell me, is that what you want?" He grazed his teeth across her nipple once more, smirking at the sobbing sigh that came from the little morsel beneath him. Taking this as her affirmative, he leisurely trailed his fingers back down her body and resumed the rhythmic friction of rubbing her clit. Sakura gave a relieved sigh this time. As if being on the verge of bliss had been too much.

Kankuro inserted a finger into the tiny opening at her core and curled it upward. This caused Sakura's eyes to open in surprise as she gasped very loudly. She was just so close. Deciding to finally have mercy on the poor girl, the puppet-nin began wiggling that digit inside of her while continuing to rub vigorously across her swollen little bud. Add his teeth grating against the flesh of her breasts, and it took no time for Sakura's body to tighten into a powerful spasm of glory.

She felt this orgasm coming on like a tidal wave. When he bit down the last time, it pulled the sensations right out of her soul. She felt her body clench tightly around his finger, essentially bringing it to a stop, as the world went dark before being washed out in sparkling colors.

He coaxed her body through the orgasm, to the point to where her muscles loosened enough for her to move. But before she could fully come down from her new heights, Kankuro moved between her thighs and thrust his erection into her with one long hard stroke.

Completely surprised at beng filled to the brim so suddenly, her hazy green eyes shot open. She came face-to-face with that maddening leer.

"It looked like it felt good, so I wanted to get in on some of the action." She started to chuckle, but he moved into her body again, turning her giggle into a sweet moan.

Kankuro wanted nothing more than to show Sakura the full force of his passion, but he didn't. He wanted to fulfill her needs, so he took things slowly. He kissed her thoroughly, bruising her lips to a dark purple that was exquisitely sexy.

Once her mouth had been fully plundered, he lay kisses across her brow and on her cheeks, then down her neck. All the while, he pushed into her body with his own with full deliberate stokes, making sure to reach the back of her sex with every thrust.

The slow grinding was doing the girl wonders. She was obviously not used to love-making lasting so long, and she was gasping and panting each time he reentered her body.

Sakura's body felt so alive. She'd had no idea that a man could do such things to her. And she did, true to his words, feel like a goddess. With each kiss, each whispered endearment, each push of his hips, he worshipped her. And she loved it.

Soon, though, the fact that he was filling her so fully with each thrust exciting her to no end, Sakura began to feel the buildup of another orgasm. This one, not quite so intense. Instead, it was subtle but still strong. She could feel her body tense as her muscles began to tighten around him. Then, the muscle in his own jaw tightened.

"Kankuro-sama," she brushed the sweat-filled hair from his eyes, "can I come again?"

He looked up at her from the spot on her chest that he had fixated on. It was taking all of his effort not to explode, and now she was _asking_ if she could blow his mind again.

"Yes, Sakura-_chan_," he pulled one leg to his waist by the knee to get a deeper angle, "come with me."

Something about the admission that he was ready, sent her flying over the edge. This one had been slow in the buildup, but it was white-hot like the sun when it took her over. At the sound of Sakura's pealed release, Kankuro gritted his teeth to try to ride her out.

He couldn't.

As the medic found her climax, so, too, did her puppet-master.

Mutually coming down from an orgasm was not something Sakura had ever done.

When she opened her eyes, she could only see the brunette's shoulder. He had slumped across her body as the tension pumped from his body. She lay and basked in the sweaty glory of what had just happened, but a seed of doubt began to creep into her mind.

Now he would want to cuddle. She didn't know if she could do that, so she did the only thing she knew how. She panicked.

Sakura began pushing at the larger shinobi, trying to get him to roll off of her. He did so lazily; flopping off of her onto his back. And just as she was about to try to figure out a way to get him to leave, he spoke.

"Don't even try it." He was still breathing heavily, voice ragged from exertion and muffled under the arm that he had flung across his face. "I know what you're thinking, and there is no way I'm leaving."

Sakura froze in both mind and body. How the hell did he know that?

Before she could even think about arguing, he rolled toward her with arms extended. She was suddenly rolled onto her side, facing away, being cradled against his body. And he was just so warm.

She was really too tired to fight him. And, even though, she usually liked to sleep alone, it wouldn't hurt to have someone to share body heat with on this cold winter night.

Trying to fool herself into believing anything other than the fact that she_ liked _being held so tightly in his arms, Sakura drifted off to sleep.


	24. Just What the Hokage Ordered

**A/N: This chapter is way short, but it's kind of just a wrap up and epilogue in one, so I couldn't really make it too long. Anyways, enjoy.**

Pulling Strings

Just What the Hokage Ordered

Sakura woke in the very early hours of the next morning; from the shadows that fell across the room, dawn must have just been creeping onto the horizon. Her thoughts, still muddled a bit from her deep and _comfortable_ sleep, took their time in catching up to the new day. She was only half aware of the body that lay next to her. It was hard to miss the masculine limbs that were entangled with her own. All she could really focus on was the fact that she was warm, rested, and _satisfied_.

Then, she remembered why she had woken up. Damned bladder.

It took quite a bit of silent coaxing to work her way out of Kankuro's arms. He seemed to be the clingy type while asleep. Who'd a thunk, right? But, being the brilliant shinobi that she was, Sakura managed escape by using a pillow as a substitute for her own body. Seeing that boyish face, sleep-softened and blissfully unaware, cuddled with a pillow was nearly her undoing. But, alas, the call of nature...

The pink-haired woman stood from the bed, then nearly jumped back in at the stark cold that overwhelmed her body. Her entire being became one giant goose-bump. Grumbling softly about 'damned deserts weren't supposed to be so damned cold', the medic fumbled around for something to wear for her trip to the bathroom.

Fastening random buttons as she moved, the girl decided anything would do to cover her while she did her business because, if she didn't go _now_, she would look quite ridiculous explaining the urine stain on the carpet.

Once she found the room and went about what she needed to do, the woman let out a sigh of relief. Seriously, when had she drank so much to merit all of that?

The bathroom was only slightly warmer than her bedroom, but it was still cold enough to cause her teeth to chatter. All she could think about was finishing up so that she could get back into bed and attack the puppet-ninja with her cold feet.

Thinking of Kankuro sleeping in her bed brought back flashes of the previous night. Never had anyone treated her the way he had. He was so gentle, generous, caring, and _loving_. How she felt mattered to him. And, of course, he was absolutely right about her. In her attempts at making herself worthy of working with her team, she had come to see herself as unworthy in comparison to everyone and everything. She had taken complete control over her life but had only succeeded in nearly strangling herself with self-doubt.

But Kankuro had seen through all of that. Where other lovers had only utilized her need for physical release, he had sought to relieve her emotionally.

Then, he had _touched_ her. Those soft caresses and lingering kisses were heaven sent.

That was when Sakura felt the old doubt begin to creep up on her. Yeah, he had forced her to let him stay the night. But what happened next? What were they to one another? Were they friends, lovers? What if this was only a one-time, well actually two-time, fling for him? What would he say to her when he woke up?

These questions stirred throughout Sakura's mind, and she found herself leaned against the door-jamb between the bathroom and bedroom, wondering what to do. Should she go back to bed? His voice put all of her questions to rest.

"Still prefer the shirt over the real thing, huh?" Kankuro's voice was intimate and gravelly, from sleep or maybe not. Sakura was startled from her thoughts at his words and looked down at her body. In her haste to make it to the potty without wetting the floor, she had thrown on his dress shirt. It was way too big on her; the sleeves hung several inches past her fingers, and the bottom hem hung to her knees. She couldn't hold the flush of embarrassment at being caught in another of the man's shirts. This brought out that dark chuckle that sent electricity through her body.

"Hey beautiful, why don't you make it up to me by getting back in bed. Now." Sakura couldn't help but to comply.

As the sounds of Sakura's attempt to 'make things up' filled the room with soft sighs and low moans, she realized that she owed her shishou a debt of thanks. The Hokage had told Sakura to lighten up and have fun. She had wanted her to let go and _live _her life, not just endure it. And Kankuro was just what the Hokage ordered.

__________

Three days later, a very tired and cold Temari traipsed her way into Konoha's red-painted gates. She had decided to bust her ass to get back to her adoptive home in an attempt to not have to camp out on the frozen wasteland that was Fire Country in the dead of winter.

As she made her way to the Hokage's tower to make her report, she thought back to her rather awkward send-off from her real home.

Sakura and Kankuro had been late. It was a wonder that the two have even made it at all. It was really no secret what had gone on in the girl's room, and Temari couldn't wait to tell everyone in Konoha about that particular hook-up.

What was startling, though was the fact that Sakura didn't clam up or act embarrassed at all. It was as if the woman was at complete ease with the situation in which she had found herself. Of course, Kankuro was nothing if not confident. Perhaps, he had given the girl her own, much needed, confidence boost.

No, Sakura and Kankuro weren't the problem.

Gaara and Matsuri, on the other hand...

Matsuri was the epitome of the shy little girl that she had always been. However, arriving _beside _the Kazekage, as his equal, as opposed to behind him as a subordinate, seemed to throw the girl for a loop. Otherwise, all was picture perfect. Neither showing what had occurred between them the night before. Well, besides, Matsuri's very discreet limp that could have been, and was, passed off as a bruised ankle received from a fall at some time or another.

Yeah, they weren't fooling anyone.

Especially, not with the predatory growl Gaara tossed at his own sister when she gave Matsuri a goodbye hug.

Definitely not with the possessive hand on her shoulder at Kankuro's barely concealed snickers.

Most assuredly not with the arms around her waist as his sand teleported them away before Temari was even finished saying goodbye.

Oh well, at least her brothers were happy.

As the blond sand-kunoichi left her meeting with the Hokage, she was deep in thought about how her brothers had found themselves suitable lovers. If not permanently, at least for a time.

Now if only she could....

That was when she saw the slouching form of her favorite plaything. That easy-going pace and spiky ponytail sent a thrill down her spine. A slow smile drew itself across Temari's ruby lips.

Maybe now was the time to tell that lazy bastard that he loved her.

_fin_

**A/N: Ahhh, so thus ends my little excursion into the lives of the Sand Siblings and their mixings with Sakura. I hope you guys liked it. Thanks to all who had read, alerted, favorited, and reviewed. And especially to _earthbender068 _who is a constant shoulder to lean on. You're a peach, thanks so much!! Anyway, I am off to begin my next fic which may be a while in posting. I'm going to try a different approach this time, so please bear with me.**

**Until next time...**


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